South Gloucestershire new Local Plan
We submitted our Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate on 24 October 2025.
Examination inspectors were appointed in November 2025. They will review the plan and supporting evidence in detail to determine whether it is sound and meets the requirements of current planning laws and guidance.
Once they are satisfied it is compliant, they will run a process called an Examination In Public (EIP). During this time our planning officers and some of the stakeholders and residents who made submissions to the consultation process can be called to give evidence at public hearing sessions. These are expected to take place in spring 2026.
Updates on the examination process, copies of the draft plan, supporting documents consultation responses and FAQs are available on our examination website.
Page contents
- Background information on the Local Plan
- Timetable and stages of development
- Call for sites
- Get advice
- Keep updated
Background information on the Local Plan
We have developed a new Local Plan for South Gloucestershire. This includes a new strategy and policies to guide and manage growth and change in our area over at least the next 15 years.
The plan has been drafted following a series of consultations with residents, developers, and other stakeholders to help:
- shape the places that we live, work and socialise
- have a direct impact on quality of life, the natural and built environment
- have positive impacts on climate change, inequalities and encourage a green economy
- determine where future homes and jobs will be located, and which areas should be protected
Timetable and stages of development
The timetable for delivery of the Local Plan is set out in our Local Plan Delivery Programme (LPDP).
Below is information about consultations and stages of development of the Local Plan between November 2020 and October 2025.
Regulation 18: Phase 1 - Issues and Approaches
The Phase 1 consultation ran from 27 November 2020 to 1 March 2021. You can access the document and information produced to support the Phase 1 document below.
- view all consultation comments made on the Phase 1 document
- read the Phase 1 document
- watch our Local Plan videos to help understand what was in this consultation
- Phase 1 sustainability appraisal
Regulation 18: Phase 2 - Urban, Rural and Key Issues
The Phase 2 consultation ran from 7 February 2022 to 4 April 2022. You can access the document and information produced to support the Phase 2 document below.
- visit the Local Plan Phase 2 consultation page
- read the Phase 2 consultation document
- Phase 2 sustainability appraisal
Regulation 18: Phase 3 - Towards a Preferred Strategy
The Phase 3 consultation ran from 6 December 2023 to 16 February 2024. You can access the document and information produced to support the Phase 3 document below:
- visit the Local Plan Phase 3 consultation page
- read the Phase 3 consultation document and accompanying factual correction note
- Phase 3 sustainability appraisal
An easy read version of the consultation document is also available.
Evidence and technical studies supporting the Phase 3 consultation is available on our evidence base page.
Regulation 18: Phase 4 - Additional consultation on housing land supply
From 19 July to 13 September 2024 we undertook a further consultation (Regulation 18) on our strategy for ensuring we have adequate housing land supply and whether we can assist with Bristol City Council’s unmet housing need.
Regulation 19: Draft local plan publication
The Regulation 19 consultation ran from February 28 to 11 April 2025. All responses to the Regulation 19 consultation were reviewed and submitted alongside the plan. In response to feedback, we proposed some changes to policies, which the inspectors will consider.
However, we believe that the fundamental principles and priorities which have guided the compilation of the plan are sound. Therefore, the focus of the policies which we have put forward for examination have not changed: the strategy and locations have been retained with no new sites proposed.
You can still read the Regulation 19 plan and supporting technical evidence
.
Call for sites
As the plan has now been submitted, we are no longer accepting new call for sites submissions.
If you have a site you believe may have development potential you should use our pre-application advice service.
You can view our call for sites map and our FAQs on the call for sites consultation page.
Get advice
We offer an advice service for developers and landowners to meet with us to discuss your Local Plan representations. This is available for £398.30 excluding VAT (as of 1 April 2025) and is subject to us considering it is appropriate.
Contact planningpolicy@southglos.gov.uk to request this service.
Keep updated
Email policy.consultation@southglos.gov.uk to be added to the consultation database and we will keep you up to date with Local Plan progress.