Residents invited to help shape Rutland's new local plan
Rutland County Council has launched a public consultation
Residents, businesses and communities are being invited to help shape a new local plan for Rutland.
A five-week scoping consultation for the new Rutland Local Plan 2026-2046 has opened and will run until 4pm on Wednesday 14th October.
This consultation is the first formal stage in preparing a new local plan under the government's revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and new local planning regulations.
At this stage, no decisions are being made about planning policies or development sites. The council is specifically seeking views on key planning issues and challenges facing Rutland, along with feedback on how local communities and stakeholders would like to be engaged throughout the new plan-making process.
Rutland already has a submitted local plan for the period 2021 to 2041 that is undergoing independent examination and is expected to be found legally compliant and sound later this year. However, changes to national planning policy introduced in December 2024 have increased Rutland's annual housing requirement from 123 homes to 269 homes.
As the submitted local plan was already at an advanced stage, the council was allowed to continue it through examination and adoption, provided work began almost immediately on a replacement plan that addresses the higher housing requirement.
"Nothing is being decided at this stage"
The formal preparation stage for Rutland’s new local plan will begin on 30th October, following the scoping consultation. The plan is scheduled to be completed by April 2029, in line with government requirements for new plans to be prepared within 30 months. The new plan will cover the period 2026 to 2046.
The scoping consultation has been timed to ensure feedback can help shape the plan from the outset. Afterwards, the council will publish a summary of comments received and explain how this feedback has informed the next stage of work. A second consultation on the proposed content of the local plan and its supporting evidence is expected to take place in April 2027.
Councillor Paul Browne, Cabinet Member for Planning said:
"The scoping consultation is the first formal stage in preparing a new Local Plan under England's updated planning system and gives people an important opportunity to share their views before any planning policies are drafted.
"Nothing is being decided at this stage. We want to hear from people about the issues that matter to them, so these views can help inform what goes into the new Plan.”
Rutland County Council has already completed an initial call for sites as part of its preparations for the new local plan. Information about sites submitted through the call for sites is available as part of the scoping consultation materials.
However, all sites still need to be assessed by planning officers and none are being recommended for inclusion in the plan at this stage.
The County Council is also holding an online webinar from 7pm to 8pm next Wednesday (16th September), providing an overview of the new Local Plan process and explaining how people can get involved.
Paper copies of consultation documents are also available at the council’s Catmose House offices, in Oakham, and at local libraries.