Nottingham City Council is preparing a new Local Plan for the city under the Government's new plan-making system introduced through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 and the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026. The new system requires local planning authorities to prepare plans within a fixed 30-month timeframe and introduces a series of gateways to support and assess progress.
Gateway 1 is the first of these gateways. It is designed to establish whether a local planning authority has the necessary arrangements in place to begin plan preparation, including governance, project management, evidence gathering, engagement and resourcing.
This summary explains the work undertaken to prepare for Gateway 1 and signposts the main supporting documents.
This webpage, together with the corresponding printed version, constitutes Nottingham City Council’s Gateway 1 self-assessment summary for the purposes of Regulation 21 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 (hereafter, Local Plan Regulations). The summary was made available on 31 October 2026 in accordance with the requirements of Regulations 21 and 88.
The following documents have informed the Council's preparation for Gateway 1:
- Notice of Intention to Commence Plan Preparation
- Local Plan Timetable
- Local Plan Review Scoping Document
- Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report
- Engagement Strategy
These documents can be accessed through the links above and from the Local Plan Review webpage.
The Local Plan Timetable is updated as plan preparation progresses. The version available online is the current version and may differ from printed copies made available for inspection.
The Local Plan Review webpage is the main source of information about the preparation of the new Local Plan. It provides access to the latest timetable, supporting documents, consultation material and related webpages.
The Council has published a Local Plan Timetable which sets out the key stages in preparing the new Local Plan and the anticipated programme for consultation, evidence gathering, Gateway assessments, examination and adoption.
The timetable provides transparency for residents, businesses, landowners, infrastructure providers, community organisations and statutory consultees by setting out when opportunities to engage in the plan-making process are expected to take place. It also provides the framework for managing the preparation of the Local Plan within the Government's 30-month timeframe.
The Council considers that the published Local Plan Timetable complies with the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and the Local Plan Regulations. The timetable has been updated to reflect the actual dates of the scoping consultation and the date on which this Gateway 1 self-assessment summary was made available. It will continue to be reviewed and updated as plan preparation progresses.
Preparing a Local Plan is a significant corporate project involving cooperation across Council services, elected members, statutory bodies, infrastructure providers, neighbouring authorities and local communities. Effective governance and project management arrangements are therefore essential to ensuring the Local Plan can be prepared efficiently and within the statutory timeframe.
The Council has established project management and governance arrangements to oversee preparation of the Local Plan Review. These arrangements provide clear decision-making processes, management oversight and accountability throughout plan preparation.
To support delivery of the Local Plan, the Council has prepared an internal Project Initiation Document (PID). The PID identifies the scope of work, objectives, governance arrangements, resources, programme management arrangements, key dependencies and strategic risks associated with preparing the Local Plan. It provides the framework for managing the project and monitoring progress as plan preparation proceeds.
Alongside the PID, the Council will continue to monitor programme delivery, resource requirements and emerging risks throughout the life of the project.
The core project management and governance arrangements needed to commence plan preparation are in place. Detailed responsibilities, reporting arrangements and resource requirements for later and more intensive stages will continue to be developed and formally agreed through programme meetings, senior and member oversight, and engagement with finance, legal, procurement, communications and democratic services.
Meaningful engagement with residents, businesses, community organisations, infrastructure providers, statutory consultees and other stakeholders is an important part of preparing the Local Plan. The Council has prepared an Engagement Strategy explaining how people can become involved and how consultation responses will be considered. The strategy promotes accessible, proportionate and effective engagement and supports the Council’s adopted Statement of Community Involvement.
The Council undertook a formal Scoping Consultation from 23 September to 28 October 2026. It sought views on the Local Plan Review Scoping Document, the Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report and the Engagement Strategy. The responses will inform the next stages of plan preparation, including the content of the plan, the evidence programme and the approach to future engagement.
A summary of the scoping consultation, prepared in accordance with Regulation 22 of the Local Plan Regulations, will be published by the end of 2026. This will be accessible from the main Local Plan Review Page.
Further opportunities to participate will be provided as the plan develops, at the stages identified in the Local Plan Timetable. Information about consultations and progress will be published on the Local Plan webpages and circulated through the Council’s planning policy contact list.
The Council has undertaken early evidence gathering and baseline analysis to identify the opportunities and challenges facing Nottingham and the matters the new Local Plan may need to address. This work informed the Local Plan Review Scoping Document.
The Scoping Document is structured around ten key themes:
- Theme 1 | Growth Delivery and Regeneration
- Theme 2 | Homes and Communities
- Theme 3 | Economy
- Theme 4 | Energy, Sustainability and Climate Change
- Theme 5 | Health and Wellbeing
- Theme 6 | Transport and Connectivity
- Theme 7 | Design and Density
- Theme 8 | Natural Environment and Green Infrastructure
- Theme 9 | Heritage and Identity
- Theme 10 | Infrastructure, Viability and Developer Contributions.
At this stage, the Council has not selected preferred policies, site allocations or a preferred spatial strategy. The scoping process instead establishes the issues to be considered and helps identify the evidence, options and further engagement required. Consultation responses and continuing evidence work will inform the anticipated content of the plan and the choices to be tested at later stages.
Baseline evidence gathering has also begun. This includes reviewing the availability of land for development, updating information on population, households and demographic trends, and beginning work to establish the housing requirement for the new Local Plan. Some of this initial evidence is already available on Nottingham Insight. Through the Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report, the Council has also reviewed available data and evidence on the environmental issues likely to be relevant to the plan.
The Council has begun the Strategic Environmental Assessment required under the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004. The assessment will identify, describe and evaluate the likely significant environmental effects of the Local Plan and reasonable alternatives. Starting this work early allows environmental considerations to inform the development and comparison of options rather than being considered only after choices have been made.
A draft Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report was published alongside the Local Plan Review Scoping Document. It sets out the proposed scope of the assessment, relevant environmental topics, baseline information and the assessment framework that may be used as the plan develops. Comments received through the scoping consultation will be considered in refining the scope and approach.
Further assessment will be undertaken as reasonable alternatives, policies and proposals are developed. Relevant environmental assessment material will be published alongside Local Plan consultation documents where required.
Following completion of Gateway 1, the Council will continue developing the evidence base, engaging with stakeholders and preparing the next stages of the Local Plan. There will be further opportunities for residents, businesses, community organisations and other interested parties to comment as the Local Plan progresses.
The Local Plan will ultimately provide a single planning framework for Nottingham, helping to guide future housing, employment, infrastructure, environmental improvement and regeneration across the city.
Residents, businesses and other stakeholders can keep up to date with progress through the Local Plan webpages and by registering to receive Planning Policy updates. The Local Plan Timetable remains the primary guide to the anticipated timing of future stages, including consultation, evidence gathering, Gateway assessments, examination and adoption.
The Council also intends to undertake a Call for Sites in the coming months. Further details will be published on Call for Sites - Nottingham City Local Plan Review - Nottingham City Council when available.
To receive updates about Local Plan consultations and other planning policy work, register through the Council’s planning policy updates form. Questions about the Local Plan Review can be sent to:
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