Preparation of the New Local Plan
The Ribble Valley Local Development Framework was formally prepared and adopted by the council in two stages – The Core Strategy in December 2014; and Housing and Economic Development DPD and Proposal’s Map in Nov 2019. In order to ensure plans remain effective, they are required to be reviewed, and updated where necessary, at least every five years.
The council resolved to prepare a new Local Plan in November 2019.
The new Local Plan will update the adopted Local Development Framework (LDF). It will comprise a single document which sets the overall planning strategy for the borough up to 2042 alongside detailed development management policies. It will need to set a positive and deliverable strategy for addressing development needs including for housing, jobs and infrastructure over that period, and make appropriate provisions for safeguarding, enhancing and managing the borough’s built, historic and natural environments.
Evidence base
An important part of the plan-making process is the gathering of evidence and factual information to help identify the issues and needs of the area. This is referred to as the evidence base and comprises reports, studies, strategies and specific pieces of research from a wide range of sources.
As part of the plan-making process the council are preparing and updating the Local Plan’s evidence base. This will be used to inform the strategy and policies within the new plan. All new documents will be published through pages or downloads in this section of the website, adding to a pre-existing evidence library which will seek to cover every aspect of the new Local Plan.
The evidence will also be used to prepare topic papers to help explain some of the more complex issues.
Call for Sites
The Call for Sites process is a fundamental piece of evidence gathering for the new Local Plan. It provides 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 council undertook a Call for Sites exercise in 2021 and update in 2025. The information gathered will feed into the council’s Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) evidence document to provide a clearer picture of what land may be available to help meet future needs.
For further information view the Call for Sites Update 2025.
Early engagement
The first round of engagement, called Strategic Matters Consultation (Regulation 18), took place in May 2022. During this stage the council consulted with residents and other stakeholders on the strategic issues to consider as part of the new local plan, providing the opportunity for public and stakeholders to give their views and feedback on several key matters. As part of the consultation, the council produced a consultation document which discusses issues and options relating to the council's approach to development strategy, vision and objectives, housing and economy. These options were assessed from a sustainability perspective, the outcomes of which are available to view in the Sustainability Appraisal - Assessment of Possible Development Strategies document.
The consultation ran from 26 May 2022 to 7 July 2022 and is now closed. All responses received will be taken into consideration in the development of the Preferred Options Document at the next stage.
Next stage
There are a number of key stages during the preparation of the Local Plan. The next stage will involve the council preparing a Preferred Options (Draft) Local Plan for public consultation in Spring 2026. This will be the main opportunity to comment on and influence the content of the Local Plan. At this stage there will also be consultation on a Scoping Report for the Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulation Assessment.
Timetable
The timetable for preparing the new Local Plan, including information about the individual key stages, is set out in the council’s Local Development Scheme (LDS) which was last updated in November 2025. The LDS is available to view at Local Development Scheme (LDS)
Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)
The council’s Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out the approach the council will take to deliver consultation as it produces the Local Plan. The SCI is available to view at Statements of Community Involvement (SCI).
Local Plan Consultation Database
If you wish to register to be individually notified of consultation stage launches and updates on the Local Plan please register for our Contacts Database.