Plan-making Activity Schedule

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 2026

 

 

 

 

Contents

 

 

1      Introduction.. 1

2      The Development Plan for the City of York.. 2

3      Future Local Plan plan-making.. 5

4      Programme Management and Reporting.. 12

5      Review... 12

6      Further Information.. 12

 

 

 

 

1             Introduction

 

 

1.1         This schedule covers the following documents:

 

·           Implementation of the City of York Local Plan 2017-2033 (adopted February 2025)

·           Local Plan Review

·           The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule

·           Neighbourhood Plans

·           York and North Yorkshire combined authority Spatial Development Strategy

·           Statement of Community Involvement

 

Legislative Background

 

1.2         Previously, the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011) introduced the requirement for local planning authorities to prepare and maintain a Local Development Scheme (LDS). The requirement for an LDS was to set out a timetable for the production of new or revised Development Plan Documents (such as a Local Plan) by the local council.

 

1.3         The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) Regulations 2026 achieved royal assent on 5 March 2026 and come into force for plan-making from 25 March 2026. As part of this, a Local Plan Timetable is required to set out how an authority will meet the plan-making procedures set out.

 

1.4         Whilst LDS’s are no longer formally required, there is much concurrent plan-making activity taking place. This Activity Schedule therefore sets out a planning work programme for the Council with indicative timeframes for plan production. It will be reviewed as necessary to keep it up to date.

 

 

 

 

 

2             The Development Plan for the City of York

 

Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS)

 

2.1         Whilst the Regional Strategy for Yorkshire and Humber has otherwise been revoked, its York Green Belt policies have been saved together with the key diagram which illustrates those policies and the general extent of the Green Belt around York. Following the adoption of the City of York Local Plan these policies now carry very little weight as the Plan identifies the detailed Green belt boundaries as required by RSS policy.

 

Minerals and Waste Joint Plan (North Yorkshire County Council, North York Moors National Park Authority and City of York Council) (2022)

 

2.2         Following the receipt of the Inspectors Report and Appendix of Main Modifications on 4 February 2022, each of the three Authorities progressed the Plan to adoption.

 

2.3         North Yorkshire County Council adopted the Plan on 16 February 2022 and North York Moors National Park Authority adopted the plan on 21 March 2022.

 

2.4         The City of York Council agreed to adopt the Minerals and Waste Joint Plan at its Full Council meeting on 27 April 2022.

 

2.5         Annual review of the MWJP is underway. It is anticipated that a review of the plan will be required to commence by 2027, within the required 5 year review period. This timetable will be updated in due course.

 

City of York Local Plan (2025)

 

2.6         The City of York Council Local Plan was adopted by Full Council on 27 February 2025.

 

2.7         The Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination in 2018. Five phases of Examination in Public (EiP) took place between 2019 to 2024. Formal consultation on the proposed modifications to the Plan took place in Spring 2023 with an additional main modifications consultation for Policy H5: Gypsies and Travellers in summer 2024.

 

2.8         The Local Plan was prepared in compliance with Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2008, as amended) and the National Planning Policy Framework[1]. Consultation on the proposed Main Modifications was compliant with Regulation 19 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004[2] and the adopted Statement of Community Involvement (2007).

 

Implementing the adopted Local Plan

 

2.9         There were three key strands of activity to effectively implement the Local Plan which are set out in Table 1.  This includes: Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs), Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and a Validation List, as follows:

 

Validation Checklist

 

2.10      A Validation Checklist helps people understand what information they need to include when applying for planning permission. It makes sure planning applications are complete and clear, so that decisions can be made efficiently and consistently. Without a checklist, the process can be delayed. Some requirements are set by the government, but local councils can also add their own to meet local needs and reflect local planning policies.

 

2.11      Public consultation was held on the list in Autumn/Winter 2025. This was subsequently published in February 2026[3].  

 

Supplementary Planning Documents

 

2.12      Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) were designed to provide additional advice and guidance on policies contained within a Local Plan. A decision to prioritise and progress SPDs outlined in the adopted Local Plan was made by Executive in September 2024.

 

2.13      However, provision was not made in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 for SPDs to be retained as part of the plan-making process. The Town and Country Planning Regulations (Local Plan) Regulations 2026 states under transitional arrangements that after 30 June 2026 planning authorities will no longer be able to adopt SPDs.

 

2.14      We are now progressing non-statutory guidance rather than the previously agreed SPDs to concentrate on production of planning guidance notes alongside signposting to relevant existing information and preparation of new evidence base documents to support future plan-making.

 

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

 

2.15      The Planning Act 2008 (as amended) and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulations 2010 (as amended) provide the powers for local planning authorities, or “charging authorities”, to choose to develop and charge a CIL on development in their area. It also sets out the legal tests on the use of S106 planning obligations.

 

2.16      Alongside the Local Plan, a draft CIL Charging Schedule was developed. Formal consultation on the Charging Schedule took place in Spring 2023 and further consultation on revisions to the Charging Schedule took place in December 2023 – January 2024. A modifications consultation took place in Summer 2025 alongside submission for independent examination. The examination hearing took place in September 2025 and, following receipt of the Examiner’s Report[4] in October 2025, the City of York CIL Charging Schedule was adopted by Council[5] on 6 November 2025 with implementation taking place from 1 February 2026.

 

2.17      The work programme around CIL has now moved on to implementation with work concentrated on identifying how the CIL pots will be assigned in accordance with the Regulations. Following this, projects will be identified, and prioritised, at both strategic and more localised levels.

 

2.18      Please refer to Table 1 for the intended work programme.

 

Neighbourhood Plans

 

2.19      Neighbourhood Plans offer local communities (via a Neighbourhood Forum or Parish Council) the opportunity to prepare locally specific policies in conformity with the Local Plan. A neighbourhood plan attains the same legal status as the Local Plan once it has been agreed at a referendum and is ‘made’ by the local planning authority (i.e. brought into legal force following an independent Examination); it becomes part of the Development Plan for the authority.

 

2.20      Neighbourhood Plans are developed in accordance with the Localism Act 2011[6], Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012[7] and the Neighbourhood Planning (Referendum) Regulations 2012 (as amended)[8]. Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended), the Council has a statutory duty to assist communities in the preparation of neighbourhood development plans and orders and to take plans through a process of examination and referendum.

 

2.21      The current state of Neighbourhood Plans in York in summary is as follows:

 

·         6 Neighbourhood Plans have been formally ‘made’:

o   Earswick Neighbourhood Plan – June 2019

o   Huntington Neighbourhood Plan – July 2021

o   Minster Precinct Neighbourhood Plan – June 2022

o   Rufforth and Knapton Neighbourhood Plan – December 2018

o   Strensall with Towthorpe Neighbourhood Plan – June 2023

o   Upper and Nether Poppleton Neighbourhood Plan – October 2017

o   Murton Neighbourhood Plan – September 2025

o   Copmanthorpe Neighbourhood Plan – December 2025

 

2.22      Three neighbourhood plans are currently being actively progressed by Parish Councils:

o   Dunnington Parish Council is preparing a plan;.

o   Heslington Neighbourhood Plan is currently being consulted on (Regulation 14 stage).

o   Heworth Without Parish Council have recently had their neighbourhood area approved and are at the very early stages of preparing a neighbourhood plan.

 

2.23      Neighbourhood Plans ‘made’ ahead of the Local Plan worked to ensure strategic conformity to align with the emerging Local Plan; this was addressed through their examination process. Now that the Local Plan is adopted, Officers are working with Parish Councils/ Neighbourhood Forums to ensure the policy position is clear and that their policies remain up-to-date. Once the revised NPPF is published (anticipated summer 2026), any changes impacting neighbourhood plans, either adopted or in development, will also be relayed to Parish Council/ Neighbourhood Forums. These changes in the local and national policy landscape may require a review of adopted neighbourhood plans in due course.

2.24      Table 4 sets out the projected Neighbourhood Planning timetable.

 

 

3             Future Local Plan plan-making

 

3.1         Work on a revised/ new Local Plan will take place under the new plan making system secured by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA).  The Town and Country Planning (Local Plan) Regulations 2026 (released March 2026) provide the governing regulations for the new system of plan-making. The Government have released supporting guidance to create a new Local Plan (November 2026); it is anticipated this will be refreshed to align with the new regulations where necessary.

 

3.2         Authorities looking to begin a plan under the new system are recommended to use the guidance available on the government webpages. This includes the following, which broadly follow the details previously consulted on in the July 2023 consultation on the LURA:

 

·         https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/create-or-update-a-local-plan-using-the-new-system

·         MHCLG: New local plan-making system roadmap, including: 

o   30-month local plan process: an overview 

o   Getting ready to prepare a new plan  

o   Give notice of your plan-making 

o   Gathering baselining information to prepare your new plan 

 

 

3.3         The broad timetable proposed consists of:

 

·         A 4 month notice period before starting plan making. This would consist of a scoping and early participation stage.

·         The formal plan making stage would run for months 1-23 and consist of visioning, evidence gathering, engagement and submission of the plan.

·         Months 24-30 would then be examination and adoption. It is expected that the examination takes place within the 30 month period.

 

3.4         An indicative timetable for this has been proposed at Table 2.

 

3.5         Subject to progression on the new Local Plan, development of a Supplementary Plan identifying Gypsy and Traveller site allocations may be brought forward ahead of the new Local Plan. An indicative timetable for this has been proposed at Table 3.

 

4             York and North Yorkshire Spatial Development Strategy

 

4.1         The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) will be responsible for producing the Spatial Development Strategies (SDSs). SDSs are high‑level strategic plans that set out policies for on how places should grow, covering issues that cross local boundaries.

4.2         CYC will have a pivotal role informing the SDS and will need to ensure the regional requirements are translated into the local policy framework. Effective collaboration across the YNYCA will be necessary and will include the co-commissioning of agreed evidence base. This will be undertaken concurrent with the production of York’s Loal Plan Review.

 

5             Statement of Community Involvement

 

5.1         A Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out the processes by which the community will be engaged in consultation on each type of document and at every stage of its preparation. The SCI also sets out how the community will engage in the consideration of major development management decisions.

 

A decision was made at Executive on 14 March 2024[9] to update the SCI and take the updated SCI out for consultation. Public consultation was undertaken in Autumn 2025. It is anticipated that the revised SCI will be adopted in April 2026. Revisions have been made following the consultation, and in line with information currently available, to ensure that the SCI conforms with the requirements for consultation in the new plan-making process. Please refer to Table 2.1d for the intended work programme.

 

Table 1 Implementation of adopted Local Plan 2017-33 (2025)

 

Overall timescale

2025

2026

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Local Plan Adoption

Implementation of Local Plan

Validation List

Drafting

Consultation

Publishing

Non-statutory Guidance  (Previously SPDs)

Drafting

Consultation

Publishing

Community Infrastructure Levy

Drafting

Consultation

Examination

Adoption

Payment schedule update

Implementation

CIL spending strategy

 

 

 

 

Table 2a Timetable for new/ revised Local Plan[CA1] [JC2] 

 

2026

2027

2028

2029

Overall timescale

New plan-making timetable

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

Local Elections

Mayoral Elections

Plan review scoping

Notification for plan-making

Plan visioning

Scoping consultation

Call for sites

Review comments

Decision to proceed

Gateway 1 self assessment

Evidence base

Drafting Plan

Engagement

Review comments

Gateway 2 Assessment

Finalising plan

Engagement

Consultation write-up

Gateway 3 Assessment

Submission

Examination

Adoption

 

Table 2b Dates required by Regulation 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 

 

Key stages of plan-making	Relevant regulations*	Anticipated date
Notice of intention to commence local plan preparation made available	Regulation 19(1)	June 2026
Notice of scoping consultation made available	Regulation 20(1)	June 2026
Deadline for receipt of representations in response to scoping consultation	Regulation 20(4)	August 2026
GATEWAY 1: Summary of self-assessment of readiness for local plan preparation made available	Regulation 21(3)	October 2026
Notice of proposed local plan content and evidence consultation made available	Regulation 23(1)(a)	June 2027
Deadline for receipt of representations in response to proposed local plan content and evidence consultation	Regulation 23(4)	August 2027
GATEWAY 2: Observations and advice sought from the “appointed person” in relation to progress on the proposed local plan	Regulation 26	October 2027
Notice of proposed local plan consultation made available	Regulation 27(1)(a)	June 2028
Deadline for receipt of representations in response to proposed local plan consultation	Regulation 27(4)	July 2028
GATEWAY 3: Observations and advice sought from the “appointed person” on compliance of the proposed local plan with the prescribed requirements	Regulation 31	September 2028
Submission of the proposed local plan to the Secretary of State for independent examination	Section 15D(1) of the Act	December 2028
Adoption of the local plan	Section 15EA of the Act	April 2029

*from the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026, apart from the final two rows which refer to the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 

 

 

Table 3 Possible Supplementary Plan for Gypsy and Traveller site allocations

 

Overall timescale

2026

2027

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Local elections

Decision to proceed

Notice of intention

Call for sites

Site assessment

Drafting

Consultation period (6 weeks)

Assessment of consultation

Submission

Examination

Adoption

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 4 Neighbourhood Planning

 

Overall timescale

2026

2027

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Local elections

Pre-Submission consultation

Finalising Plan

Submission

Submission Consultation

Examination

Examiner’ report

Decision Statement agreed

Referendum

Adoption

 

Table 5 Statement of Community Involvement  

 

Overall timescale

2024

2025

2026

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Preparation of SCI

On hold pending Local Plan progress

Consultation

Analysis of consultation

Reporting

Publication

Stages complete

6             Programme Management and Reporting

 

Programme Management

6.1         The overall management of the Local Plan falls under the Director of City Development with day to day management by the Head of Strategic Planning Policy.

 

Reporting

6.2         Matters relating to the Local Plan, CIL and Neighbourhood Plans are usually reported to Council Members via the Planning Policy Advisory Group. This is a formally constituted cross party advisory committee of the Council which meets in public and makes recommendations to the Council’s Executive. The Council’s Executive is responsible for making key decisions relating to the production of the Local Plan, CIL and Neighbourhood Plans. Governance arrangements to allow effective progress of the Local Plan through the production and Submission phases will be reviewed to ensure the timetable can be fully met. Full Council is responsible for agreeing the adoption of the Local Plan.

 

7             Review

 

7.1         This LDS will be kept under review and updated regularly to reflect changes in timescales or the production of additional documents.

 

8             Further Information

 

8.1         For further information regarding this document and/or the workstreams included, please contact the Strategic Planning Policy Team via the following details:

 

Email: localplan@york.gov.uk

Phone: 01904 552255

 

City of York Council | Strategic Planning Policy

City Development |West Offices |Station Rise |York YO1 6GA

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