FAQs
Proposed Submission Draft Harborough Local Plan (Regulation 19) Consultation
Local Plan Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Local Plan?
Local Plans, prepared by a local planning authority in consultation with the community, set out a vision and framework for protection and future development of an area. This covers everything from the location of housing and workspaces to green spaces and new school buildings. Once adopted, the Local Plan will be used alongside made neighbourhood plans and the minerals and waste Local Plan, to decide local planning applications.
Why do we need to update the Local Plan?
The current Harborough Local Plan was adopted in 2019 and covers the period 2011 to 2031. Every council is legally required to review their Local Plan at least every five years and need to plan at least 15 years ahead. There is also a requirement within our current Local Plan for a review following the publication of Leicester Local Plan by Leicester City Council in January 2023.
Without an up-to-date plan, Harborough could see development happen in ways that do not meet our objectives of focusing development in areas with higher levels of access to existing public transport, community facilities and healthcare – or where the necessary improvements and expansion can be most efficiently delivered. Without an up-to-date local plan, developers have more power to decide where and how building takes place. This could leave us vulnerable to speculative developments in places that the Council and its communities want to protect, and which are not considered sustainable. Not having an up-to-date Local Plan would create uncertainty and make it harder to secure appropriate sites for new infrastructure such as schools and healthcare facilities.
It is important to understand the context within which the Local Plan is being updated. National planning policy is being reformed with a new method for calculating housing need coming into effect for Local Plans that have not reached Regulation 19 by 12 March 2025 which would increase the number of homes we have to plan for by around 2,000 dwellings to 2041.
Adopting an up-to-date Local Plan will put us in a stronger position to deliver sustainable development and associated infrastructure, as well as preserve and enhance Harborough District’s rural character, rich environments and local communities.
What stage is the Local Plan currently at?
The process of preparing a Local Plan involves a number of stages.
We consulted on the Local Plan Issues and Options and associated Sustainability Appraisal between 16 January and 27 February 2024. This was the first stage of the consultation process which invited views on a range of planning issues and potential options for the future development of the district.
Many people and organisations commented on the Issues and Options consultation. We have carefully considered the responses to the consultation alongside updated evidence, national planning policy and guidance, discussions with service providers, Duty to Co-operate bodies and Development Management officers in producing a Proposed Submission Draft Harborough Local Plan. The Council considers that the Local Plan together with the supporting evidence base is now ready to go forward for independent examination by the Government Planning Inspectorate.
Before submitting for examination, we are inviting representations of the Proposed Submission Draft Harborough Local Plan and the supporting documents in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) Regulations 2012. A consultation will run for over 8 weeks from 9am on 10 March 2025 until 9am on Tuesday 6 May 2025.
What is the Regulation 19 consultation?
This is your final opportunity to comment on the Proposed Submission Draft Harborough Local Plan before we send it to central government for examination. The Regulation 19 consultation requires comments to focus on the ‘legal compliance’ and ‘soundness’ of the Local Plan. This is the version of the plan that the Council considers to be ‘legally compliant’ and ‘sound’ and will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination. This consultation is a chance for you to influence policy by commenting on the Local Plan’s legal compliance and soundness and to suggest any changes you think are needed. Your comments will be considered by the Council and the Planning Inspector once the Local Plan is submitted for examination.
How has the Council considered feedback received during the first consultation on the Issues and Options?
We received a wide range of comments on the Issues and Options consultation from residents, and organisations with an interest in the Local Plan (including public bodies such as the Environment Agency, Leicester City County Council and Historic England), community organisations and landowners.
We have carefully considered the responses to the consultation in producing a Proposed Submission Draft Harborough Local Plan. A Statement of Consultation is available to view on our website at www.harborough.gov.uk/statement-of-consultation. This sets out a summary of the responses received and how they have been taken into consideration to inform the preparation of the Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan.
What is different about Regulation 19 compared to other stages of consultation?
The main difference between the Regulation 19 consultation and the previous stage of consultation is the statutory requirements. Responses need to comment on whether the plan is sound or unsound based on the four tests of soundness as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. The Framework states the plan is sound if it meets the following four tests of soundness:
1. Positively Prepared: The plan provides a strategy which, as a minimum, seeks to meet the area’s objectively assessed needs and is informed by agreements with other authorities, so that unmet need from neighbouring areas is accommodated where it is practical to do so and is consistent with achieving sustainable development.
2. Justified: The plan contains an appropriate strategy, taking into account the reasonable alternatives, and is based on appropriate evidence.
3. Effective: The plan is deliverable over the plan period and is based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic matters, as evidenced by the statement of common ground.
4. Consistent with national policy: The Plan enables the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with national planning policy, where relevant.
What is legal compliance?
Local Plans are legally compliant if they are:
• Prepared in accordance with the Council’s latest Local Development Scheme;
• Accompanied by a Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment;
• Subject to consultation carried out in accordance with the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement;
• Compliant with all relevant laws including the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act and the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012; and
• Prepared in line with the Duty to Co-operate.
What is the Duty to Co-operate?
We have a legal duty to cooperate with other national and local bodies, such as neighbouring planning authorities, Leicestershire County Council and the Environment Agency. The purpose of the duty is to discuss and address strategic cross-boundary issues such as housing, employment and infrastructure needs.
These discussions have helped inform the Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan. We have published a Duty to Cooperate Statement of Compliance. This provides evidence of this ongoing engagement and where agreement has been reached. This Statement will be supported by Statements of Common Ground which are being agreed with organisations. These will be available on our supporting evidence.
When will consultation on the Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan take place?
Representations are invited on the Proposed Submission Draft Harborough Local Plan between 9am on Monday 10 March to 9am on Tuesday 6 May 2025. The period for representations has been extended beyond the six weeks statutory minimum to over eight weeks to give residents, businesses and other interested parties additional time to read and respond to the draft plan and supporting documents. No representations will be accepted outside of this period so please try and reply well ahead of the final deadline.
What documents have been published?
Publication of the Proposed Submission Draft Harborough Local Plan must be in accordance with the regulations with specific documents to be prepared to support the consultation including:
• The Proposed Submission Draft Harborough Local Plan
• Local Plan Policies Map
• Sustainability Appraisal
• Sustainability Appraisal Non-Technical Summary
• Habitats Regulation Assessment
• Statement of Consultation
• Equalities Impact Assessment
• Statement of the Representations Procedure and Statement of Fact
In addition to the main consultation documents, there are a number of supporting background and evidence documents which have been published alongside the consultation.
The Policies Map is also available on the Council’s interactive mapping system at www.harborough.gov.uk/interactive-policies-map
How do I find the consultation documents?
The Draft Local Plan and supporting documents are available to view electronically on Harborough District Council website at https://www.harborough.gov.uk/localplan.
How can I see a hard copy?
Hardcopy printouts are available for inspection during normal opening hours at Harborough District Council, The Symington Building, Adam and Eve Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 7AG.
If required, hardcopy printouts of specific sections or whole documents can be made available upon request.
Copies of consultation documents can be made available in alternative formats e.g. large print, audio or alternative languages on request. To find out more information about this refer to the equality and diversity pages of the Council’s website.
Will there be any opportunities to ask for further information?
Public drop-in events have been arranged across the district for people to view the consultation documents and speak to planning officers. These are being held at the following locations, no appointment required:
• Wednesday 19 March, 4pm to 7pm at Scraptoft Community Hub (Lounge), Malsbury Avene, Scraptoft, Leicestershire, LE7 9FQ
• Tuesday 25 March, 3pm to 7pm at The Wycliffe Rooms (Community Room), Lutterworth LE17 4ED
• Tuesday 1 April, 3pm to 7pm at Great Glen Village Hall, Main Street, Great Glen LE8 9GG
• Wednesday 2 April, 2pm to 7pm at Market Harborough – Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, The Symington Building, Adam & Eve Street, Market Harborough LE16 7AG
• Monday 7 April, 4pm to 8pm at Broughton Astley Village Hall (Alan Talbott Room), Station Road, Broughton Astley LE9 6PT
• Wednesday 9 April, 3pm to 7pm at The Old Grammer School (Main Hall), School Road, Kibworth LE8 0JE
How can I have my say?
All comments must be submitted in writing using the representation form. This can be accessed and submitted in a number of ways.
The easiest and quickest method is through our dedicated online consultation page. This will ensure your representations are accurately logged and easily submitted to the Inspector.
However, if you are unable to make your representation using the online consultation page, you can make your comments by downloading a Word version of the Representation Form from www.harborough.gov.uk/representation-form. Alternatively, you can request a representation form by contacting us at planningpolicy@harborough.gov.uk or on 01858 821160.
Completed representation forms can be returned electronically to localplan@harborough.gov.uk or by post to: Strategic Planning Team, Harborough District Council, The Symington Building, Adam and Eve Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 7AG.
Can I comment anonymously?
We cannot accept anonymous comments, or anything marked as private or confidential. Comments will be attributed to individuals and organisations. If you submit comments, the consultation responses and your personal data will be passed to the Planning Inspectorate and a Programme Officer. The Programme Officer manages the procedural and administrative aspects of the examination. The Programme Officer will contact you using the personal information you have provided if you have indicated in the representation form that you wish to engage in the examination.
What happens after the consultation?
The next formal steps in the process following the end of the representation period on Tuesday 6 May 2025 will be for the Council to consider whether to submit the Harborough Local Plan 2020-2041 to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for examination, together with all the Regulation 19 representations and the other supporting documents. At this point, a Local Plan Inspector will be appointed on behalf of the Government, who will undertake an independent examination of the plan and then make recommendations on what happens next with the Local Plan.
What happens once the document is submitted to the Secretary of State?
The Secretary of State will appoint an independent Planning Inspector to examine the Local Plan. This will include hearing sessions (open to the public) for the Inspector to hear evidence, expected mid-2026. The Inspector will provide the Council with a report into the soundness of the submitted Harborough Local Plan 2020-2041. Following a report confirming the Plan is ‘sound’, the Council will be able to adopt the Harborough Local Plan 2020-2041. It will then form part of the statutory development plan for the district and have full weight when determining planning applications.
What infrastructure will be provided to support the Local Plan?
We recognise that new development is likely to put an additional burden on existing facilities, particularly on education and health infrastructure. The Draft Local Plan seeks to proactively mitigate this by focusing development in areas with higher levels of access to existing public transport, community facilities and healthcare – or where the necessary improvements and expansion can be most efficiently delivered.
Key development sites that have been identified within the Draft Local Plan to help enable the delivery of the overall development strategy. Policy requirements are set out for each site to ensure that planning applications address site specific circumstances and any necessary mitigation.
The allocation of a site in the Draft Local Plan does not mean the site has planning permission – the Plan builds in a master planning process for many sites and a planning application would need to be approved before development can begin. It is normal practice for infrastructure delivery providers to engage in more depth through the master planning and planning application process when further evidence and information is available for their consideration.
We have published an Infrastructure Delivery Plan which can be located on our evidence base webpage. This sets out what infrastructure is required to allow new development to take place.
A wide range of organisations responsible for infrastructure provision in the district were consulted as part of the preparation of the Infrastructure Delivery Plan and during the preparation of the Draft Local Plan, including the highways authority, education authority, health authority, water companies and utility suppliers.
How will the Local Government Reorganisation affect the Local Plan?
A formal invitation for local government reorganisation, in February 2025, to two-tier councils and unitary councils in and neighbouring Leicestershire will have implications for how local government is structured in the future. Whilst the exact details of any new structure are unknown, it is important to note that it will be a number of years before any new local authority will have a new local plan in place for its area. Therefore, existing local plans will continue to apply and the Harborough Local Plan 2020-2041 will continue to be progressed to ensure that the district has an up-to-date plan in place to determine planning applications until such a time that the new planning authority adopts a new Local Plan.
How are you addressing flooding?
There are national planning policies around what can and can’t be built in places that are likely to flood now, or that are likely to be at risk of flooding in the future due to climate change. To help us understand where these places are and ensure that any proposed development sites in the plan are likely to be able to be developed without increasing flood risks for new or existing properties. Level 1 and Level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment has been prepared in liaison with statutory consultees including the Environment Agency and Leicestershire County Council as the Local Lead Flood Authority to analyse flood risk areas across the district. We used the information in the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment to inform the Sequential and Exception Tests.
Within the Proposed Submission Draft Harborough Local Plan, Policy DM07 deals with Managing Flood Risk. This requires site-specific flood risk assessments for major developments or areas with critical drainage problems to help identify and address potential risks early in the planning process. Additionally, Policy DM08 requires major development to incorporate Sustainable Drainage Systems that reduce surface water run-off by 20% compared to pre-development conditions. By strengthening existing planning policies to mandate developments to incorporate flood resilience measures and account for future climate change, the updated Local Plan ensures that new buildings are designed to withstand increasing flood risks over time. Master planning of sites will have to address and mitigate the impact of development, and we have already been working with site promoters who are aware of these requirements. At planning application stage, a further flood risk assessment for the site will be required.
Can allocations be changed as a result of consultation if alternative sites come forward at this stage?
The site allocations identified in the Draft Local Plan are based on robust evidence, including the Sustainability Appraisal that rigorously tested the policies and site allocations included in the Plan as well as the reasonable alternatives.
Changes will only be suggested to the Plan if it is necessary to achieve a sound plan.
The Regulation 19 consultation process allows the public and key stakeholders to make comments on the site allocations in the Draft Local Plan, with a view of ensuring the site allocations are legally compliant, sound and have been prepared in accordance with the Duty to Cooperate.
What is happening with Scraptoft North?
The Scraptoft North site has not been reallocated in the Draft Local Plan due to well documented issues with its deliverability and viability linked to contaminated land found on the site. Alternative sites in the Scraptoft, Thurnby and Bushby area have been allocated to deliver the housing requirement for this area instead.
What is happening with Lutterworth East?
Lutterworth East now has planning permission under reference 19/00250/OUT. The allocation therefore does not need to be taken forward in this Draft Local Plan. It is considered as a commitment towards contributing to the districts housing land supply.
How do pre-apps the Council are currently receiving relate to the Local Plan?
The Council is currently receiving a number of requests for pre application advice on sites for housing development. These generally have no relationship to the Local Plan other than where they are on sites that are proposed allocations. As the Local Plan progresses through its statutory process, it will help the Council to regain control of where development is located in the longer term.
How does the Council’s five-year housing land supply position relate to the Local Plan?
The Council currently has a 3.35 year housing land supply since the publication of the revised NPPF in December 2024 which increased the housing requirement for the district. The reduction in the number of years of housing land supply leaves the district at risk of speculative development for a temporary period until the Draft Local Plan is adopted. The Council is working hard to mitigate the reduction in its housing land supply by continuing work on its new local plan to provide for future housing and sustainable development across the district in order to close the gap between housing supply and requirements.