Call for Sites Update 2025

The Council is preparing a new Local Plan which will guide future development and land use in the borough. As part of this process, we are updating the 2021 Call for Sites exercise to help assess the availability and suitability of land to meet development needs and other uses over the lifetime of the new Local Plan (up to 2042). This will inform decisions on appropriate sites to identify as potential land use allocations.

This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document has been prepared to provide more information about what the Call for Sites update is and what it is not; and how it fits into the overall process of preparing the new Local Plan.

Q1. Why do we assess the availability of land for new development?

The Government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires local planning authorities to assess the availability of land to meet their local needs for housing, employment and other uses. This process helps the Council build a comprehensive evidence base of land that may be available and suitable for a range of uses to inform the preparation of the new Local Plan. The Call for Sites is just one of the ways used to gather information as part of this process.

Q2. What is a Call for Sites?

A Call for Sites is not a decision-making process - it will not determine how much new development we need, or whether a site should be allocated for development. It is simply an information gathering exercise where the Council invites landowners, developers, community groups, members of the public and other interested parties to put forward land they think has the potential for development in the next 15 years for further consideration and assessment as part of the preparation stages of the new Local Plan.

The information gathered will feed into the Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) to provide a clearer picture of what land may be available to help meet future needs.

Q3. Why is the 2021 Call for Sites being updated? 

It's important that the Council has a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of where land is potentially available for a range of types of development. In 2021 the Council asked for sites to be submitted to be assessed for suitability for potential development as part of the evidence base for the new Local Plan. Over 100 sites were submitted to the Council by interested parties for assessment and potential inclusion as an allocation in the Local Plan. These can be viewed on the Call for Sites Interactive Map.

Since that time national planning policy has changed the method for calculating local housing need. This has significantly increased the number of homes the borough must plan for, so more potential sites now need to be assessed. In addition, sites submitted in 2021 may have changed over time due to development, ownership changes, new constraints, or shifting market conditions. The end date of the new Local Plan has also been slightly extended, to 2042, to take account of the anticipated timescales for production and adoption. This may capture additional sites that would not have been available for development within the previous timescales.

Updating the process increases the range of choice. It ensures all site information is current, allows previous submissions to be amended or withdrawn, and invites new sites for consideration ensuring the Council has an up-to-date, comprehensive ‘pool’ of potential development sites to assess.

Q4. I submitted a site under the 2021 Call for Sites. Do I now have to resubmit my site?

No. You DO NOT need to resubmit previously submitted sites unless there are changes that you need to report including additional information to demonstrate deliverability. If you need to update your previously submitted site(s) you can do so by using the online form on the Council’s website. See Q10.

Q5. What is the Call for Sites Interactive Map?

The Map shows all the sites that have been submitted for consideration in the Local Plan to date (October 2025). The site boundaries shown on the map are those provided by the promoter and have not been checked, as this stage, for accuracy.

Q6. What does it mean if a site is included on the Call for Sites Interactive Map?

If a site is included on the Map, it does not mean that it is suitable for development nor does it imply a commitment to its allocation within the Local Plan. Its inclusion is solely for notification purposes.

Q7. Is consultation taking place on the 2021 Call for Sites submissions as part of this process?

No, the sites are shown for notification purposes only. Consultation is not taking place on the sites submitted in the 2021 Call for Sites exercise as no decisions have been made about the appropriateness of the sites for development. The opportunity to comment on sites is through the relevant Local Plan stage, when there is a greater degree of certainly on which sites may be allocated. See Q19.

Q8. Who can submit a site?

The process is open to all - landowners, site promoters, businesses, organisations, developers and any other interested parties. It is important that you ensure that sites being submitted for consideration are likely to become available for development in the next 15 years. If you don't own the land you will need to specify who does and you will need their agreement to the site promotion as they will need to demonstrate that the proposal is available and deliverable in due course.

Q9. What types of land and uses can be submitted?

Both previously developed (brownfield) and greenfield land may be submitted. Sites can be put forward for a range of uses, including housing (including specialist housing and Gypsy & Traveller provision); employment or mixed-use development; community uses; retail, tourism or leisure uses; open space; nature recovery; biodiversity net gain and renewable energy. There is no minimum or maximum site size, but sites must have a clear and identifiable boundary.

We are especially interested to hear about potential opportunities for the development, re-use or redevelopment of land, sites and buildings within towns and villages or on previously developed land.

Do not submit sites outside of Ribble Valley Borough Council’s boundary; or sites which already have planning permission or are under construction as these are already accounted for in the plan making process.

Q10. How do I submit a new site for consideration or update a previously submitted site?

Complete and submit the online Call for Site Form separately for each site. Submitters will have a responsibility to ensure that the information provided is accurate and they may be asked to provide more details and supporting evidence during the assessment stages.

Q11. Do I need to use the online submission form?

We encourage you to use the online submission form as this ensures that all necessary information is provided and will support the timely assessment of sites by the Council. However, a PDF version is available upon request from the Council’s Planning Policy Team using the contact details below.

Q12. What happens if sites are submitted after the Call for Site Update Closes?  

We would encourage the timely submission of sites as we cannot guarantee that any late submission will be included in this round of assessment. The next opportunity to submit a site for consideration will be during the public consultation on the draft Local Plan. See Q19.

Q13. Does submitting a site mean it will be allocated or granted planning permission?

No, the Call for Sites is a data gathering exercise only. It is simply a way for the Council to understand what land may be available and does not guarantee that the site will be included in the new Local Plan as a site allocation or that it will be granted planning permission in the future.

Q14. What happens after I have submitted a new or updated site? 

Sites proposed for residential and employment development will join other identified land, including the 2021 Call for Sites submissions, to form a ‘pool’ of sites for detailed assessment through the Council’s Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA). Each site will be assessed against various criteria to determine whether they would be considered suitable, available and achievable (ie appropriate for development and likely to come forward within a realistic timeframe during the lifetime of the new Local Plan).

The methodology used to assess the sites, including the assessment criteria, will be published along with a report summarising the assessment outcomes as part of the Local Plan evidence base.

Q15. Does the SHELAA determine where new development will take place?

No. Whilst the SHELAA will help inform plan making as a key piece of the evidence base, it will not itself determine whether a site should be allocated for future development. Decisions about which of those sites are the most suitable will be taken as part of the Local Plan making process following assessment and consultation and informed by other relevant evidence.

Q16. Will I have the opportunity to meet Council Officers to discuss my site(s)?

No. Assessments are generally based on the submitted details but if further information is required then officers may get in touch with site submitters to seek this information. We will not meet with specific site submitters to discuss their submissions. If sites are subsequently considered as potential Local Plan allocations, meetings may then be considered.

Q17. Will I receive feedback on my site submission?

No. Site submitters will not receive feedback on their submissions. However, there will be assessment summaries included in the Council’s Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) Report when it is published.

Q18. Will the public be able to see the submissions received?

Yes. Whilst the Call for Sites itself is not a public consultation all submitted sites, and the site assessment process undertaken, will be made publicly available on the Local Plan pages of the Council’s website in due course. Specific timescales will depend on the number of sites submissions received.

Q19. Will the public be able to comment on submissions received?

Formal public comments will be invited at the next consultation stage in the Local Plan preparation process, when potential site allocations are published as part of the Draft Local Plan. This is referred to as Regulation 18 Stage consultation. The best way to be kept informed is by signing up to the Council’s Local Plan Consultation Database. See Q24.

Q20. Will suitable sites be considered for inclusion on the Brownfield Land Register?

Any sites that meet the national definition of previously developed (brownfield) land will be considered for inclusion on the Council’s Brownfield Land Register, which is published on the Council’s website and reviewed annually. Inclusion on that register does not guarantee allocation or planning permission.

Q21. Can site submissions be treated as confidential?

No, sites submitted cannot be treated as confidential. Details of submitted sites, including their mapped boundaries, will be published in relevant emerging evidence documents which will be made publicly available.

Q22. How will my personal information be used?

When submitting a site some personal data will be collected. You can see how we will use your data at Data Protection – Ribble Valley Borough Council

Q23. Who do I contact if I have queries about the Call for Sites?

The Council’s Planning Policy Team will be available to help answer any queries.

E-mail: localplanconsultation@ribblevalley.gov.uk

Telephone: 01200 425111

Q24. How can I be kept informed about Ribble Valley’s new Local Plan?

If you would like to be kept informed about the new Local Plan you can be added to our consultation database so that we will keep you informed of updates. Please sign up at Contacts Database Application - MyRibbleValley