Local Plan Review consultation
The consultation to inform the Wiltshire Local Plan review, taking place from 13 January to 9 March 2021, has now ended.
Officers will now review all the responses received and spend some time processing and considering the views provided by communities and stakeholders.
The outcomes of this consultation will inform the preparation of the draft Local Plan, which we will then consult on once again, either at the end of this year or early next. A consultation report will be published in due course.
This webpage provides an opportunity to view the documents that formed part of the consultation.
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We undertook a consultation to inform the preparation of the Wiltshire Local Plan Review, with the draft plan due to be completed towards the end of 2021. The topics covered included:
- How growth (additional new homes and employment land) is distributed around the county ('Emerging Spatial Strategy' paper)
- Levels of growth, potential locations for development and place shaping priorities for each of the county's main settlements (documented in a series of 'Planning for' papers for each Market Town and Principal Settlement)
- Improving the framework for rural communities to meet housing needs ('Empowering Rural Communities' paper)
- The opportunity to inform proposals about how the council's planning policies can be shaped to address climate change and biodiversity net gain ('Addressing Climate Change and Biodiversity Net Gain through the Local Plan - raising the ambition' paper)
- The consultation was supported by a set of supporting documents that have been prepared to inform the development of policy. These can be viewed via the 'Supporting documents' link.
Consultation content
- Emerging Spatial Strategy
- Empowering Rural Communities
- Addressing Climate Change and Biodiversity Net Gain
- Supporting documents (including interim Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment screening opinion)
- Interactive portal map
- Planning for Amesbury
- Planning for Bradford on Avon
- Planning for Calne
- Planning for Corsham
- Planning for Chippenham
- Planning for Devizes
- Planning for Malmesbury
- Planning for Marlborough
- Planning for Melksham
- Planning for Royal Wootton Bassett
- Planning for Salisbury
- Planning for Tidworth and Ludgershall
- Planning for Trowbridge
- Planning for Warminster
- Planning for Westbury
Further information section
- Live consultation events - copies of PowerPoint presentations and question and answer responses
- Contact us
- Join our mailing list
- Further information about the Local Plan Review
- Data protection and privacy
Consultation content
The 'Emerging Spatial Strategy' paper can be viewed by clicking the link below:
Within this document you will find information relating to the proposed distribution of growth around the county. This is expressed in terms of the amount of new homes and land for employment that each main settlement should accommodate.
The 'Empowering Rural Communities' paper sets out information including:
- Framework to support neighbourhood planning and to address local housing needs through an amended Core Policy 44
- Housing requirements for each Local Service Centre and Large Village to help guide neighbourhood plans.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The document can be viewed by following the link below:
The 'Addressing Climate Change and Biodiversity Net Gain' paper sets out information including:
- Five linked key policy themes, in addition to the Spatial Strategy, that will help support the Plan's objective in respect of adapting to and mitigating climate change.
- Sets out our approach on these key themes and asks people to help us develop what we already know about the social, economic and environmental challenges facing Wiltshire in terms of a changing climate.
The document posed a series of questions to focus your comments.
The document can be viewed by following the link below:
A number of supporting documents were prepared informing the development of policy, these can be viewed below.
Supporting documents:
- Local Plan Review Interim Sustainability Appraisal
- Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Opinion
- Local Transport Review
- Formulating Alternative Development Strategies
- Retail and Town Centre documents
- Local Housing Needs Assessment
- Employment Land Review
- Functional Economic Market Assessment
- Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment
- Informal consultation reports (Autumn 2019)
- Informal consultation reports (Autumn 2018)
- Regulation 18 Issues and Options consultation statements (Autumn 2017)
Local Plan Review Interim Sustainability Appraisal
- Interim Sustainability Appraisal Non-Technical Summary (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)
- Interim Sustainability Appraisal (Incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment) (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)
- Interim Sustainability Appraisal Annex I - Assessment of Alternative Development Strategies for the four Housing Market Areas (HMAs) (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)
- Interim Sustainability Appraisal Annex II - Principal Settlements: Site Assessments (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)
Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Opinion
Local Transport Review
Formulating Alternative Development Strategies
- Chippenham HMA: Formulating Alternative Development Strategies (ADSs) (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)
- Salisbury HMA: Formulating Alternative Development Strategies (ADSs) (PDF) [1014KB] (opens new window)
- Swindon HMA: Formulating Alternative Development Strategies (ADSs) (PDF) [7MB] (opens new window)
- Trowbridge HMA: Formulating Alternative Development Strategies (ADSs) (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)
Retail and Town Centre documents
- Wiltshire Retail and Town Centres Study 2020 Volume 1: Main Text (PDF) [3MB] (opens new window)
- Wiltshire Retail and Town Centres Study 2020 Volume 2: Appendices (PDF) [3MB] (opens new window)
- Wiltshire Core Strategy Retail Review 2015 (PDF) [908KB] (opens new window)
- Wiltshire Core Strategy Retail Review 2015: Appendix 1 - 14 (PDF) [8MB] (opens new window)
- Wiltshire Core Strategy Retail Review 2015: Appendix 15 - 19 (PDF) [22MB] (opens new window)
- Wiltshire Core Strategy Retail Review 2015: Appendix 20 - 24 (PDF) [16MB] (opens new window)
- Wiltshire Core Strategy Retail Review 2015: Appendix 25 - 29 (PDF) [15MB] (opens new window)
- Wiltshire Core Strategy Retail Review 2015: Appendix 30 - 34 (PDF) [23MB] (opens new window)
- Wiltshire Core Strategy Retail Review 2015: Appendix 35 - 37 (PDF) [13MB] (opens new window)
Local Housing Needs Assessment
Employment Land Review
- Employment Land Review (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)
- Employment Land Review Appendix 1: Planning Policy (PDF) [511KB] (opens new window)
- Employment Land Review Appendix 2: Policy and Background Document Review (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)
- Employment Land Review Appendix 3: Baseline Data Review (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)
- Employment Land Review Appendix 4: Consultation Key Messages (PDF) [373KB] (opens new window)
- Employment Land Review Appendix 5: Floorspace and Employment Land Demand (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)
- Employment Land Review Appendix 6: Wiltshire Employment Land and Property Market (PDF) [888KB] (opens new window)
- Employment Land Review Appendix 7: Site Review Summary (PDF) [251KB] (opens new window)
- Employment Land Review Appendix 8: Site Viability (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)
Functional Economic Market Assessment
- Swindon and Wiltshire Functional Economic Market Area Assessment (PDF) [7MB] (opens new window)
- Appendix 1: Defining the FEMA (PDF) [14MB] (opens new window)
- Appendix 2: Summary of the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Economic Assessment (2016) (PDF) [766KB] (opens new window)
- Appendix 3: FEMA Level SWOT Analyses (PDF) [221KB] (opens new window)
- Appendix 4: Economic Policy Review (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)
- Appendix 5: Key Sectors Summary (PDF) [60KB] (opens new window)
- Appendix 6: Scale of Growth Comparison (PDF) [85KB] (opens new window)
- Appendix 7: Baseline Forecast Analysis (PDF) [958KB] (opens new window)
- Appendix 8: Employment Sites and Premises Requirement Methodology (PDF) [242KB] (opens new window)
Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment
Informal consultation reports (Autumn 2019)
During 2019 a series of workshops were held with Town and Parish Councils, as well as Developers to provide updates on the Local Plan Review process. The focus for these sessions was largely centred on how the overall housing numbers could be distributed across Wiltshire in line with the Settlement Strategy set out in the adopted Wiltshire Core Strategy. In addition, the Developer Forum meeting looked at the issue of development viability and market signals.
Reports on these events can be found below:
- Town Meetings Report - Autumn 2019 (PDF) [111KB] (opens new window)
- Appendices to Town Meetings - Autumn 2019 (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)
- Rural Workshops Report - Autumn 2019 (PDF) [371KB] (opens new window)
- Rural Worksop Appendices - Autumn 2019 (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)
- Developers Forum Report - July 2019 (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)
Informal consultation reports (Autumn 2018)
Following the Issues and Options Consultation in Autumn 2017, a number of parish events were held in Autumn 2018 to help develop our thinking further on planning for new homes to 2036. Specifically, the events helped to address the following questions:
How can approximately 44,000 homes be distributed across Wiltshire, with a focus on Wiltshire's market towns and principal settlements, to maintain the role and function of those places and promote sustainable development?
How can policies within the Local Plan support proportionate housing growth outside named market towns and principal settlements (the rural area) and support the role of neighbourhood plans?
A report on the events can be found below:
- Scale and Distribution of Growth - Report of Informal Consultation with Town and Parish Councils (PDF) [1021KB] (opens new window)
- Scale and Distribution of Growth - Report of Informal Consultation with Town and Parish Councils Appendices (PDF) [10MB] (opens new window)
Regulation 18 Issues and Options consultation statements (Autumn 2017)
A report on the Issues consultation, including a summary of the actions that were taken to raise awareness of the consultation and a summary of the comments received, can be found below. As part of the awareness raising process, informal consultation events were held and reports of these events can also be found below (this included meetings with Town and Parish Councils and a Developer Forum with developers and landowners).
- Scope of the Plan (Regulation 18 consultation) – Report of Consultation Process (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)
- Scope of the Plan (Regulation 18 consultation) - Report of Consultation Process Appendices (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)
- Scope of the Plan (Regulation 18 consultation) - Report of Parish Briefings (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)
- Scope of the Plan (Regulation 18 consultation) - Report of Developer Forum (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)
During the consultation, comments were invited on the Sustainability Appraisal Draft Scoping Report. Following consideration of comments, the final Scoping Report has been produced and can be viewed below.
- Wiltshire Local Plan Scoping Report (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)
- Wiltshire Local Plan Scoping Report Appendix A (PDF) [1018KB] (opens new window)
- Wiltshire Local Plan Scoping Report Appendix B (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)
The initial consultation asked about the issues the review should address in order to plan for the period to 2036. The consultation documents included:
- Wiltshire Local Plan Review: Consultation Paper (PDF) [441KB] (opens new window)
- Swindon and Wiltshire Joint Spatial Framework: Issues Paper (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)
- Chippenham Housing Market Area - Individual Settlement and Housing Market Area Profile (PDF) [6MB] (opens new window)
- Salisbury Housing Market Area - Individual Settlement and Housing Market Area Profile (PDF) [3MB] (opens new window)
- Swindon Housing Market Area - Individual Settlement and Housing Market Area Profile (PDF) [4MB] (opens new window)
- Trowbridge Housing Market Area - Individual Settlement and Housing Market Area Profile (PDF) [4MB] (opens new window)
These were prepared to stimulate discussion on how the review of the Wiltshire Local Plan should be carried out.
The interactive portal map spatially shows the preferred development sites at the Principal Settlements of Chippenham, Salisbury and Trowbridge and potential development sites at Market Towns.
The 'Planning for Amesbury' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Potential development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Bradford on Avon' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Potential development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Calne' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Potential development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Corsham' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Potential development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Chippenham' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Preferred development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Concept plans for each preferred site (illustrating a way the land identified can be developed);
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Devizes' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Potential development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Malmesbury' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Potential development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Marlborough' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Potential development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Melksham' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Potential development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Royal Wootton Bassett' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Potential development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Salisbury' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Preferred development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Concept plans for each preferred site (illustrating a way the land identified can be developed);
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Tidworth and Ludgershall' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Potential development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Trowbridge' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Preferred development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Concept plans for each preferred site (illustrating a way the land identified can be developed);
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Warminster' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Potential development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
The 'Planning for Westbury' document sets out information including:
- Proposed scale of growth (additional new homes and employment land, 2016 to 2036);
- Place shaping priorities to guide development (these play a central role in developing planning policies and proposals for development at each place);
- Potential development sites - the justification for these is set out in an accompanying 'Site Selection Report';
- Settlement profiles on important services and infrastructure that will need to be taken into consideration when planning for the future of the town.
The document posed a series of questions to help focus comments.
The documents can be viewed by following the links below:
Further information
As part of the Local Plan Review consultation, taking place from Wednesday 13 January to Tuesday 9 March 2021, we held a series of live online consultation events for communities and other stakeholders. These events summarised the content of the consultation, explaining the proposals relevant to each area while also explaining how to make comments.
A summary of the event schedule and write-ups of the questions and answers from these sessions, along with the PowerPoint presentation delivered at each event, is available below:
- Main settlements live events question and answer sessions: responses ( Live Event Question Responses Main Settlements (PDF) [996KB] (opens new window) )
- Rural settlements live events question and answer sessions: responses ( Live Event Question Responses Rural Events (PDF) [603KB] (opens new window) )
- Rural events, which include all other Wiltshire villages and settlements, Monday 1 February and Tuesday 2 February ( Empowering Rural Communities Live Event Presentation (PDF) [587KB] (opens new window) )
- Amesbury, Thursday 21 January ( Amesbury PowerPoint presentation (PDF) [792KB] (opens new window) )
- Bradford-on-Avon, 25 January ( Bradford-on-AvonPowerpoint Presentation (PDF) [850KB] (opens new window)
- Calne, Monday 18 January ( Calne PowerPoint presentation (PDF) [764KB] (opens new window) )
- Chippenham, Wednesday 20 January ( Chippenham PowerPoint presentation (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window) )
- Corsham, Tuesday 19 January ( Corsham PowerPoint presentation (PDF) [717KB] (opens new window) )
- Devizes, Wednesday 27 January ( Devizes Powerpoint Presentation (PDF) [745KB] (opens new window) )
- Malmesbury, Thursday 21 January ( Malmesbury PowerPoint presentation (PDF) [750KB] (opens new window) )
- Marlborough, Monday 25 January ( Marlborough Powerpoint Presentation (PDF) [835KB] (opens new window) )
- Melksham, Thursday 28 January ( Melksham Powerpoint Presentation (PDF) [648KB] (opens new window) )
- Royal Wootton Bassett, Tuesday 19 January ( Royal Wootton Bassett PowerPoint presentation (PDF) [656KB] (opens new window) )
- Salisbury, Tuesday 26 January ( Salisbury Powerpoint Presentation (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window) )
- Tidworth and Ludgershall, Wednesday 20 January ( Tidworth and Ludgershall PowerPoint presentation (PDF) [581KB] (opens new window) )
- Trowbridge, Wednesday 27 January ( Trowbridge Powerpoint Presentation (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window) )
- Warminster, Thursday 28 January ( Warminster Powerpoint Presentation (PDF) [756KB] (opens new window) )
- Westbury, Tuesday 26 January ( Westbury Powerpoint Presentation (PDF) [717KB] (opens new window) )
If you would like further information, please use the email address* provided below:
*Due to increased remote working as part of the ongoing response to the Coronavirus pandemic we encourage people to contact us via email wherever possible.
If you wish to contact us via telephone please understand that you will be placed through to customer services who will endeavour to put you through to one of our officers. For questions relating to Planning Policy please contact customer services and ask to speak with a member of the team in Spatial Planning on:
- 0300 456 0100 (lines open 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday)
If you wish to contact us via post, please address mail to:
Spatial Planning
Economic Development and Planning
County Hall
Bythesea Road
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8JN
If you would like to be kept informed at key stages of the progression of the Local Plan review, along with other planning policy notifications, you can do so by joining our planning policy mailing list.
To join this notification list, please follow the link provided below, fill in your personal details and tick the 'Planning policy' option from the 'topics of interest' list. The 'areas of interest' do not relate to the planning policy mailing list.
If you would like further information about how the Spatial Planning department will treat your personal information, please visit our Privacy notice - Spatial Planning and Data Protection page.
For information about the Local Plan Review, including the scope and the timetable for its progression, please view our dedicated Local Plan Review webpage.
Information collected through public consultation will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
For more information on how the Council uses your personal information visit: Privacy notice - Public Protection
For more information on how the Spatial Planning department use your personal information see the Privacy notice - Spatial Planning and Data Protection.
