Newcastle City Council are currently undertaking early consultation on their emerging Local Plan - “The Newcastle Plan”.

The Newcastle Plan will eventually replace the City Council’s current Local Plan (due to expire in 2030) and will guide development in the local authority area for the period up to 2045.

Early involvement with the consultation process will help to ensure greater consideration of potential development opportunities as the emerging Newcastle Plan moves forward through the various stages of consultation.

The current consultation seeks views on nine key ambitions which reflect the City Council’s priorities for the Newcastle Plan. Amongst other things, the consultation is seeking feedback on:

• Employment – existing employment sites and future opportunities for development;
• Housing – the type of housing that is needed and where it should be built; and
• Leisure, culture and tourism facilities – where these facilities should be located.

In addition to the consultation document, the City Council have published their Local Development Scheme, which sets out the following timetable for preparing the Newcastle Plan:

• Stage 1 - Early Engagement and Consultation - 2024
• Stage 2 - Developing the Spatial Vision and Draft Plan - 2024
• Stage 3 - Pre-submission Plan - 2025
• Stage 4 - Submission of the Plan for examination - 2026
• Stage 5 - Examination in Public and adoption - 2027

The current consultation will run until Wednesday 6^th March 2024, giving an opportunity to comment on the topic areas and potentially shape the direction for future consultations on the emerging Newcastle Plan.

Our team can assist in the preparation of representations and provide initial planning advice on your proposals, as well as engage with the City Council to ensure any comments are considered at an early stage in the Local Plan process.

We have extensive experience in bringing forward previously developed land and greenfield sites for a range of residential and commercial uses through the Local Plan process.  If you would like our advice on how to best promote land for development and prepare your response to the consultation document, or gain any initial planning advice, please contact one of our team members below to discuss further.