Westmorland and Furness Local Plan

We are making a new Local Plan for Westmorland and Furness. We want to hear your views about what the plan should do, what it should achieve and how you would like to be kept up to date and involved.

A new Local Plan for Westmorland and Furness

We are working 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 in 2024 and completed our Scoping Consultation in August 2026.

We asked for views on the following themes based on the feedback we’ve already gathered:

  • Health and Communities 
  • Place
  • Economy
  • Climate and Nature
  • Travel and Infrastructure
  • Housing

At this stage we don't know how much land might be developed over the plan period up until 2045, although we do know that national targets mean we will be looking to identify areas of significant growth for housing. 

We have run a number of Call for Sites, to give people the opportunity to suggest sites for a range of possible development types or protection from development. We can then look at all potential options and choose the most suitable sites where they are most needed. 

Find more information on the Call for Sites.

Notice to Commence Plan Making

New legislation published in March 2026 updates the way in which Local Plans should be prepared, beginning with a Notice of Intention to start the Local Plan and a Scoping Consultation.

Westmorland and Furness Council gave notice of intention to commence plan making and set out a timetable for the production of the Westmorland and Furness Local Plan on 30 June 2026.

The Westmorland and Furness Local Plan will cover the administrative area of Westmorland and Furness with the exception of the parts within the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.

The Westmorland and Furness Local Plan will encompass the requirements of a minerals and waste plan.

The timetable will be regularly updated as necessary and published on this page.

Westmorland and Furness Local Plan Open Data

The Council publishes planning policy data in open, machine-readable formats. We must follow the approved data standard to publish our Local Plan timetable so that we meet the requirements of the Planning Data (England) Regulations 2026. This data is provided under the Open Government Licence.

Supporting documents and guidance

The new plan-making system requires an Engagement Strategy which sets out the approach to consulting and engaging communities, stakeholders and statutory bodies in the preparation of the new Local Plan. A draft Strategy has been prepared and this will be finalised before completing our Gateway 1 self-assessment.

Focus groups

We will be holding a series of focus group meetings targeting engagement with groups we have not yet heard from. If you or your group would like to be involved in a focus group session, please get in touch.

Email: localplan@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk

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Sign up to our Planning Policy consultation database to keep up to date with the emerging Local Plan.