Local Plan Review issues and options consultation approved

The consultation is part of the statutory process for bringing forward a new local plan. The new plan will contain the council’s planning policies which will help shape development in the borough over the next 20-30 years. The consultation document highlights and seeks views on key issues that the plan needs to address and options for new and updated policies. It covers the need for employment land, the regeneration of Rugby town centre, pitches for Gypsies and Travellers, houses in multiple occupation, climate change, design policy and land for new homes.

The decision to launch the consultation was made at the meeting of the Full Council held on 25 October and follows the council’s December 2022 decision to undertake a full update to its Local Plan.

Following the local elections, the council’s cross-party Planning Services Working Party took external advice on whether to proceed with updating the local plan, or pause to wait for proposed government planning reforms to be completed. Another option considered was to pause the full plan update and pursue a limited partial update in the interim. Based on the advice received, councillors decided to proceed to the next stage of plan making by launching this consultation.

Updating the Local Plan will allow the council’s planning policies to take account of changes since the plan was adopted in 2019, such as the declaration of a climate emergency, the introduction of the requirement for biodiversity net gains, and the council’s town centre Regeneration Strategy. There is also a need for policies to address over-concentration of Houses of Multiple Occupation and respond to new evidence of future employment land and housing need identified in the Coventry and Warwickshire Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment 2022.

A spokesperson for Rugby Borough Council said: "The Rugby Borough Local Plan sets out how the borough will grow and develop in future, so it is important that residents, businesses and community organisations have their say on the issues and options that have been identified. We would encourage anyone interested to review the consultation and provide their feedback.”

The Local Plan Review Issues and Options consultation will run from 30 October 2023 to 2 February 2024. The consultation and associated documents will be published at www.rugby.gov.uk/localplan, and made available at Rugby, Dunchurch and Wolston libraries and at the Town Hall in Rugby. 

The council will also run drop-in information sessions for interested residents along with separate sessions for key stakeholders including Parish Councils. Details of these will be made available on the council website and social media channels.