Northumberland Local Plan

The Northumberland Local Plan (alongside any made Neighbourhood Plans) is the statutory development plan, containing planning policies used to assess and guide the location and nature of future development in the County.

The Local Plan includes the planning policies used to guide and determine future planning applications in Northumberland. It details the scale and distribution of new development and includes land allocations and designations.

The Northumberland Local Plan 2016 to 2036 was formally adopted by Northumberland County Council on 31 March 2022. Click here to view the Adoption Statement.

The adopted Local Plan and accomanying Policies Map can be viewed by clicking on the links below:

Northumberland Local Plan 2016 to 2036 (Adopted March 2022)
Northumberland Local Plan 2016 to 2036 Policies Map [Online interactive version*]
Northumberland Local Plan 2016 to 2036 Policies Map [PDF version]

The adoption of the Local Plan follows the receipt of the Inspectors’ Report on the Examination of the Northumberland Local Plan. The Inspectors' Report concludes that the Northumberland Local Plan is ‘sound’ providing that a number of modifications are made to it. The adopted version of the Plan includes all the modifications recommended by the Inspectors.

The Northumberland Local Plan now forms part of the development plan for Northumberland alongside the 'made' Neighbourhood Plans. It replaces the Development Plan Documents prepared by the former Districts, Boroughs and County Councils prior to Local Government Review in 2009.

Further information on the adoption of the Local Plan, together with supporting documents, can be viewed further down this page.

*You may need the most up-to-date version of your web browser for the interactive map to load properly.

Planning Policy Team aims to be transparent and provide accessible information to individuals about how their personal data will be used through a privacy notice. A copy of our privacy notice is available HERE.

The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out the Council’s commitments on involving local people and businesses in preparing the Local Plan and informing and consulting them on planning applications.

Click here to view the Statement of Community Involvement document.

Some of the restrictions that have been put in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have meant that we have had to review how we engage with local people and businesses. An addendum to be read in conjunction with the SCI has been prepared to reflect the temporary approaches put in place to reflect the current circumstances.

Click here to view the addendum to the Statement of Community Involvement (updated 6 August 2020).

The Council has started preparing a Northumberland Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Local Plan (GTTSLP), which when adopted will form part of the statutory development plan for the county.

A commitment to prepare an up-to-date Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showperson Accommodation Needs Assessment (GTTSANA), and to prepare a GTTSLP which allocates sites to meet the identified needs, is set out in the Northumberland Local Plan (NLP) which was adopted in March 2022.

The updated GTTSANA (March 2022) recommends that the Council makes provision for a number of ‘transit sites’ to meet the needs of gypsies and travellers and help to minimise the incidence of unauthorised encampments, and that reserve sites are also identified to ensure that any needs for additional permanent pitches are met.

'Call for sites' - Autumn 2022
In order to inform the site selection and allocation process, the Council has undertaken a ‘call for sites’ consultation.

Sites identified through this process, together with other possible sites that the Council is already aware of, will be considered through a comprehensive site assessment and selection exercise. Subsequently, a draft GTTSLP will be prepared which includes proposed site allocations. This will be subject to public consultation.

An updated timetable for the preparation of the GTTSLP will be published in due course.

How to get involved
There will be opportunities to provide us with your comments at each of the key stages in the preparation of the GTTSLP. If you would like to be notified of any relevant GTTSLP consultations and be kept up-to-date with progress in relation to the preparation of other planning documents you can add your name to our database by either:

Self-registering on our Online Consultation Portal (if you are already registered you do not need to register again);
Emailing us at planningstrategy@northumberland.gov.uk with your full name, organisation/group (if applicable), full postal address and email address.

Further information on how the council will involve local people in preparing the Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Local Plan can be found in the Statement of Community Involvement document.

The Local Development Scheme (LDS) sets out the broad timetable for the preparation of Development Plan Documents and associated documents.

View Local Development Scheme 2021-2024 (March 2021)

The Council will update the Local Development Scheme as necessary and appropriate, to reflect the preparation of emerging and future development plan documents.

The Council is preparing guidance and advice to supplement the Local Plan and assist in considering and determining planning applications.

Previously adopted Supplementary Planning Documents have been downgraded to Supplementary Planning Guidance following adoption of the Local Plan. These can be viewed using the links in the Consolidated Planning Policy Framework.

The Council carries out regular monitoring to help understand how well the current planning policies are working. Monitoring is important to help inform the preparation and review of planning policies and decisions on planning applications.

Click here to view more information on monitoring.

Further information: