A new Local Plan for Westmorland and Furness
We are starting work on a new Local Plan for Westmorland and Furness (excluding the National Parks). When this is adopted, it will replace all the existing Local Plans that were adopted by the former Councils.
The Local Plan will:
- set out how much new development (e.g. homes and employment sites) is needed to support our communities
- make sure new development is built in the right places and in a way which is best for people and the environment
- allocate sites for new housing and other development
- protect some areas and green spaces from development
- include policies that are used to decide planning applications
- plan for development relating to minerals and waste
We kicked off the process with an ‘early conversation’ with our communities and stakeholders over summer 2024. We’re at the very early stages of plan making and no decisions have been made. It is important that we get everyone involved to identify what kind of place we want to live and work in and how we want to see Westmorland and Furness change over the next 20 years.
As part of the early conversation we also asked people to identify land or sites that are available to be developed for housing, employment, minerals or waste purposes.
Local Development Scheme (LDS)
The Council is required to prepare and maintain a Local Development Scheme which sets out a programme for the preparation of new planning policy documents. The main focus is the production of a new Local Plan for Westmorland and Furness, which will include minerals and waste policies.
The LDS sets out the timetable for the production of the Local Plan, and includes details of other documents which form, or will form, part of the Development Plan for Westmorland and Furness, such as Neighbourhood Plans.
This LDS will be kept under review and updated as Government guidance is provided, therefore dates for consultation periods are subject to change and will be updated.
Westmorland and Furness Local Development Scheme 2025 (PDF 831KB)
Recent Consultations
Call for Sites - Housing, Employment, Minerals and Waste
Consultation closed 30 September 2024.
Following the call for sites exercise the Council have been checking the submissions for accuracy and preparing to publish them. The sites that were submitted can be viewed on an interactive map using the links below.
Please note this is the original information that was submitted by the site promoter and we have not yet verified it or undertaken any assessment.
Call for Sites: Housing and Employment
Next Steps
The Council are now starting to undertake a high level assessment looking at key constraints that may affect sites and to gather other relevant information. People will be invited to comment on the sites later in 2025.
For more information please visit our Local Plan Consultations Page
Early Conversation
Consultation closed 9 September 2024.
We wanted to hear your thoughts about where you live, work and visit within Westmorland and Furness, and how you would like to see our area change and develop over the next 20 years.
For more information please visit our Local Plan Consultations Page
Design Code
Consultation closed 9 September 2024.
We are preparing a Design Code to set out the design standards we expect from new development. We asked for your views and preferences on local design, the quality of recent development and the different characteristics of places across Westmorland and Furness in our consultation in July / August 2024. The responses are being analysed and will be used to inform the Design Code.
For more information please visit our Design Code Project Page
Join our mailing list
Sign up to our Local Plan consultation database to receive email updates about any future Local Plan consultations.