South Norfolk Council
South Norfolk Council's Notice of Intention to Commence Local Plan Preparation
Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026
Plan Name: The Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 | Date of Publication: 30 June 2026
In accordance with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 South Norfolk Council gives notice of its intention to commence preparation of a new joint local plan.
This notice is published to inform residents, businesses, statutory bodies and other stakeholders about the start of plan-making and how to get involved.
Names of Planning Authorities Preparing the Plan
The plan is being prepared jointly by:
- Broadland District Council
- Norwich City Council
- South Norfolk Council
(Together referred to as the Greater Norwich authorities).
The area the plan will cover
The Plan will cover the geographical and administrative areas of Broadland District Council, Norwich City Council and South Norfolk Council excluding the Broads Authority Executive Area.
(Collectively referred to as the Greater Norwich area).
The Broads Authority Executive Area functions as its own independent local planning authority and is excluded from the Greater Norwich partnership's local plan boundary.
A map showing the plan area boundary: Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 Map (PDF, 7 MB)
Plan Title and Scope
The plan will be known as: The Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045.
This plan will set out a long-term vision, objectives and policy framework to guide development across Greater Norwich. The plan will not address minerals and waste which are the responsibility of Norfolk County Council.
Local Plan Timetable
This timetable sets out the key stages in preparing The Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 and the expected dates for each stage.
We publish a Local Plan timetable to set out a clear and transparent programme for preparing the plan. It shows the main stages in the process and when they are expected to take place, helping people understand how the plan will be developed and when they can be involved.
For The Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045, the timetable is published alongside the Notice of Intention to Commence and marks the formal start of plan-making. It begins the required notice period so that residents, businesses and stakeholders are aware that work is starting and can take part from an early stage.
The timetable also supports the effective management of the plan by setting out key milestones, such as consultation and examination, and will be kept up to date to show progress. This helps ensure The Greater Norwich Local Plan is prepared in a structured, timely and accountable way.
| Stage | Purpose | Date | Month in Plan Process |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publish Local Plan Timetable and Notice of Intention to Commence | This begins the minimum four-month notice period to ensure stakeholders are aware that plan preparation is starting. The timetable will be kept up to date and will set out anticipated and actual dates for key stages. | 30 June 2026 | Pre-plan stage |
Scoping Consultation (Reg. 20) | The scoping consultation is the initial engagement stage where the authorities seek views to define the plan's scope, evidence base and engagement approach before plan preparation proceeds. | 17 August - 28 September 2026 | Pre-plan stage |
| Gateway 1 Self-Assessment | A self-assessment is submitted to government to confirm readiness to proceed. This triggers the statutory 30-month period for plan preparation. | 30 October 2026 | 0 |
Consultation on Proposed Local Plan Content and Evidence (Reg. 23) | A minimum six-week consultation on the emerging plan content and supporting evidence, including a draft vision and site assessment work. | 8 June - 20 July 2027 | 8 |
| Gateway 2 | Engagement with the Planning Inspectorate to seek advice and identify any potential issues early, helping to ensure the plan can meet required standards. | 2 November 2027 | 13 |
Consultation on Proposed Local Plan (Reg. 27) | A minimum eight-week consultation on the proposed local plan and its supporting documents. | 3 April - 29 May 2028 | 18 - 19 |
| Gateway 3 | A further check by the Planning Inspectorate to confirm that the plan meets the required standards and can proceed to examination. | 6 September 2028 | 23 |
| Submission | Submission of the proposed Local Plan for examination. | 19 October 2028 | 24 |
| Examination of the proposed Local Plan | Independent examination of the plan against national policy and tests of soundness. | 19 October 2028 - 21 March 2029 | 24 - 29 |
| Examination Recommendations | Publication of the recommendations of the independent Inspector against national policy and tests of soundness. | 21 March 2029 | 29 |
| Adoption | Subject to the Inspector's conclusions, the plan will be formally adopted and published. | 30 April 2029 | 30 |
This timetable takes effect on Tuesday 30 June 2026.
Last updated 30 June 2026
Expected Start of Plan Preparation
The Greater Norwich authorities expect to begin the formal 30‑month plan preparation process (Gateway 1) on 30 October 2026.
Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 Timetable (Excel doc, 2 KB)
This authority confirms that all local plan data required has been published in accordance with statutory requirements and is made available under the terms of the Open Government Licence. The CSV file above contains the information in the Local Plan Timetable and will be updated when changes have been made to the timetable and when milestones have been met. The data may be freely used and re-used in line with the conditions of that licence.
Further Information
You can view a copy of this notice at the council offices during normal office hours: South Norfolk and Broadland District Councils, The Horizon Centre, Peachman Way, Broadland Business Park, Norwich, NR7 0WF
For more information about this notice or the Greater Norwich Local Plan, please visit: www.gnlp.org.uk or contact: [email protected] / 01603 306603
