Emerging Local Plan

We are bringing forward a new Local Plan, which is fresh, creative and robust, intended to bring socio-economic benefits to Ashfield.

The Local Plan addresses needs and opportunities in relation to local housing, the local economy, community facilities and infrastructure. It also safeguards the environment, enables adaptation to climate change and helps secure high quality accessible design. The Plan provides the framework for guiding decision on individual planning applications.

How to get involved

We want local people and communities, businesses, and other interested parties to be involved and have their say.

To get involved and kept informed on the progress of the emerging Local Plan please contact us setting out your name, address and, where possible, an email address. Your contact details would be held on the Local Plan database.

You can see more about how we consult and involve local communities, businesses and organisations in our Statement of Community Involvement.

• link: Statement of Community Involvement

Strategic approach

We are working with local authorities in the Nottingham Outer and Nottingham Core Housing Market Areas considering cross boundary matters and the evidence base for the emerging plan.

The Nottingham Core Housing Market Area covers Nottingham City, Rushcliffe, Gedling, Broxtowe, and Erewash. The Nottingham Outer Housing Market covers Ashfield, Mansfield, and Newark and Sherwood.

We are also consulting with infrastructure providers to reflect the requirement of such aspects as education, highways and health.

Evidence base

A number of studies have been undertaken to provide an understanding of the opportunities and constraints in Ashfield. The studies cover the economic, social and environmental aspects of our area. They underpin the proposed policies and the site allocations in the emerging Local Plan for Ashfield; they can also be a consideration for Development Management in deciding planning applications.

The studies can be viewed online

• link: Local Plan - Evidence Base page

Calls for sites (SHELAA)

The Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) identifies potential development sites, assesses whether sites can realistically be brought forward and whether they can be delivered to meet future development needs.

Information on how to submit a site to be considered as part of the emerging Local Plan is available on the Call for sites web page together with the submission form that needs to be completed:

• link: Call for sites page - SHELAA

Sustainability appraisal

An important part of bringing the local plan forward is the sustainability appraisal.

This identifies:

• how sustainable development is being addressed through the plan
• demonstrates how relevant economic, social and environmental objectives have been addressed.

You can find out more on the following pages:

• link: Ashfield Draft Local Plan Consultation (Regulation 18)
• link: Ashfield Local Plan 2023 - 2040 (Regulation 19) Pre-submission draft

Statement of community involvement

The Statement of community involvement sets out our policy and approach to community involvement and public consultation in the preparation of local development documents. This includes the Local Plan, and how we consider planning applications.

Further information is available at:

• link: Statement of community involvement

Local Development Scheme - Local Plan timetable

The Local Development Scheme (LDS) outlines the process we will undertake to develop a new Local Plan and present a timetable for producing it. As such, it provides a starting point for you to see at what stage you can become involved in the plan making process.

Further information is available at:

• document: Local Development Scheme - January 2025