Scoping Consultation underway to support new Local Plan

Date published: 20th July 2026

North Norfolk District Council is inviting residents, businesses, community groups and other interested organisations to have their say on the future development of the district as it begins work on a new North Norfolk Local Plan under the Government's new plan-making system.

As the first consultation stage in the process, a Scoping Consultation will take place from Monday 20 July to Monday 31 August 2026.

The Scoping Consultation is a way of gathering early views on what the new Local Plan should contain, where future growth should be focussed, the evidence that we intend to prepare to inform the Plan, and how people would like to be engaged as it progresses. We want to hear what matters most to our communities before we begin developing options for the new Local Plan.

The current North Norfolk Local Plan was adopted in December 2025 and covers the period to 2040, but widespread changes to national planning legislation and policy means the Council is required to prepare a new Local Plan using the Government’s new plan-making framework. The new Local Plan will cover the period from 2029 to 2045 and should be adopted within a 30-month period as of 31 October 2026. Further information on the timeline for preparing the new Local Plan is available at www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/localplanreview

The Scoping Consultation document explains the matters being considered and provides background information to help people respond. A series of questions are provided in the format of a survey to enable feedback to be given.

The responses will help us develop a draft vision for the new Local Plan, inform early options around how and where future development could be distributed across the district (known as the spatial strategy), and inform our approach to future engagement. The vision and strategy that we draft will be available for public consultation at a later stage in the process.

A summary of the Scoping Consultation will also be published so that participants can see who was invited to comment, and how the Council has considered the feedback so far.

In relation to the identification of potential development sites for future growth, the Council is currently running a second ‘Call for Sites’ consultation, with responses requested between Monday 20 July and Monday 31 August 2026. Further details can be found at www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/callforsites

Cllr Andrew Brown, Portfolio Holder for Planning & Enforcement, said:

“We are keen to ensure that North Norfolk continues to benefit from a strong, up-to-date Local Plan that helps guide planning decisions and reflects the needs of the district, and we want our communities to be involved from the very beginning.

Your feedback will help us develop a draft vision and early strategy for how North Norfolk could grow and change in the years ahead, while also helping us shape future engagement as the Local Plan progresses.”

How to respond

Those wishing to respond to the consultation can do so by visiting www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/scopingconsultation between Monday 20 July and Monday 31 August 2026.

Responses should be submitted via our online consultation portal which is designed to help you complete the survey accurately and in a consistent format. It supports transparent and cost-effective engagement, allowing responses to be managed efficiently. Assistance will be provided for anyone with accessibility requirements.

Please note that we are unable to accept responses received outside of the advertised consultation period.

If you wish to be directly notified of future Local Plan consultations and key stages, please sign up to our local plan database.