New Maldon District Local Plan Timetable

Introduction

This document sets out the timetable for the preparation of the new Maldon District Local Plan. It has been prepared in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 which prescribe the statutory process for preparing a ‘new-style’ Local Plan, as established by Part 2 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (PCPA), as amended by Schedule 7 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA).

Background

The Maldon District Local Development Plan 2014-2029 was approved in July 2017.

The Government has since introduced a new plan-making system, and the new Maldon District Local Plan will be prepared in line with detailed procedures set out in the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 and the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (PCPA) as amended by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA).

The new Maldon District Local Plan

Once adopted the new Maldon District Local Plan will replace the current Maldon District Local Development Plan 2014-2029.

The Maldon District Local Plan will apply to the geographical area of Maldon District.

It will provide a long-term planning framework for Maldon District, including a vision and strategic priorities, setting out the overall amount and distribution of new development, site allocations and other policies for the determination of planning applications. A Policies Map will accompany the Plan and illustrate geographically where its policies apply.

Following the Government's announcement to pause LGR, the implications of this will be kept under review as the Local Plan progresses. Notwithstanding the outcome of LGR, progressing a new Local Plan remains a key priority for the Council.

Timetable dates

This Local Plan Timetable takes effect from 25 September 2026 and replaces the Local Development Scheme (LDS) dated February 2025.

The Local Plan Timetable

The Local Plan Timetable needs to contain specific information as required by the relevant legislation and regulations. Section 15B of the PCPA 2004 (as amended by the LURA 2023) sets out certain matters that the Local Plan Timetable needs to specify. Regulation 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 provides further detail regarding the form and content of the Local Plan Timetable.

The timetable must specify the date upon which all the necessary steps that are required by law in producing a new Local Plan are envisaged to be undertaken.

This is the first Local Plan Timetable produced for the new Local Plan. To comply with Regulation 8, it is being published, with an accompanying statement that it is to have effect, on the same date as the Notice of Intention to Commence Local Plan preparation. These were made available on 25 September 2026.

The Notice of Intention to Commence Local Plan preparation is available to view here.

The new plan-making system includes a series of ‘Gateways’. The dates specified for the stages after Gateway 1 reflect the Government’s preferred 30-month timescale (including 6 months for examination and 1 month for adoption).

The PCPA 2004 (amended by the LURA 2023) and associated regulations also require that the Local Plan timetable indicates whether the Council intends to prepare a Supplementary Plan and whether either the Local Plan or any Supplementary Plan(s) are intended to be prepared jointly with another Local Planning Authority.

At this stage, the Council has not taken a final position on whether a Supplementary Plan will be prepared. Should this position change, it will be reflected in future revisions of this timetable. There is no current intention to prepare a joint Local Plan.

Revisions to the Local Plan Timetable

In accordance with Regulation 6, the Council is required to ensure that the Local Plan Timetable is kept up to date and must be reviewed, and if necessary updated, on at least a monthly basis.

The dates specified in the timetable will be kept under review and updated accordingly including:

when either a relevant plan preparation stage or a relevant event occurs, or

a decision is made to carry out an additional consultation stage.

Maldon District Council will maintain and publish a schedule of any amendments made to this timetable.

Local Plan Timetable CSV download

To meet data requirements the timetable is available as a CSV file. - Maldon District Local Plan timetable

The CSV file contains the information above and will be updated when changes have been made to the timetable and when milestones have been met. The data within this file is being provided to the Government under the Open Government Licence.

Local Plan scope and content

Matters which the local plan for the area is to deal with:	The Local Plan for Maldon District will: Define the strategic spatial strategy for the area, including how housing, employment and other needs will be met and supported by the appropriate level of infrastructure. Allocate sites for development, including sites for housing, employment, travellers and other uses. Set locally specific development management policies where these are not already sufficiently addressed by any national decision-making policies that exist at the time. Identify area-based growth strategies or policies for particular settlements, growth areas, or regeneration locations. Include a policies map showing all policy designations.
The geographical area to which the authority’s local plan is to relate:	The Local Plan for Maldon District will cover the whole of the administrative boundary of Maldon District (ONS code E07000074).
Any supplementary plans which the authority are to prepare:	To be confirmed
The subject matter and geographical area, site or sites to which each of those supplementary plans is to relate:	N/A
How the authority proposes to comply with the requirement in section 15F(1) (requirement in relation to design code):	To be confirmed. Government indicated in their response to the NPPF 2024 consultation that they will keep under review the provisions contained in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 on authority wide design codes. As part of the NPPF 2025 consultation it further stated that proposed policy reflects the move away from a legal requirement for authority-wide design codes. This matter will be kept under review and confirmed as part of future revisions to the Local Plan Timetable.
Whether the authority is to prepare a joint local plan or supplementary plan, and whether to form a joint committee for that purpose:	No

Timetable

Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026

Regulation	Stage of Plan Making	Dates	What does this mean?
8	Publish Local Plan Timetable	25/09/2026	This commences the minimum 4-month notice period so that stakeholders are aware plan-making is beginning.
19(1)	Publish Notice of Intention to commence Local Plan preparation	25/09/2026
20(1)(b)	Scoping Consultation starts	25/11/2026	We will seek feedback from stakeholders on how to engage with them and what the plan should contain.
20(4)	Scoping Consultation ends	22/12/2026
22(3)	Publish summary of scoping consultation	16/02/2027
21(3)	Publish Gateway 1 (self-assessment of readiness)	12/03/2027	Publication of a document setting out details of how we have got ready for plan-making. This marks formal commencement of plan-making for the purposes of Government’s 30-month timeframe
23(1)(a)	Consultation on proposed plan contents and Evidence (PC&E) of new Local Plan starts	27/08/2027	We will seek feedback from stakeholders on proposed local plan content and evidence, including a draft vision for a 6-week period. It will also include the proposed spatial strategy and any initial draft policies.
23(4)	Consultation on proposed PC&E ends	07/10/2027
24(3)	Publish summary of responses from PC&E consultation (Reg.24)	15/11/0207
26	Gateway 2 advice sought	19/11/2027	We will seek observations and advice from the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) to help identify and resolve potential soundness issues at an early stage, and to ensure the plan is progressing towards meeting the statutory and policy requirements set out in legislation and national planning policy.
	Gateway 2 advice published	16/12/2027
27(1)(a)	Consultation on new proposed Local Plan starts	26/05/2028	We will seek feedback from stakeholders on the proposed local plan for an 8-week period. This is the version of the final Local Plan that we intend to submit to the Secretary of State for examination
27(4)	Consultation on new proposed Local Plan ends	19/07/2028
30(3)	Publish summary of consultation and finalise Local Plan	07/09/2028
31	Gateway 3 advice sought (Prescribed requirements assessment)	14/09/2028	We will seek observations and advice from the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) to test if the proposed Local Plan meets the statutory and policy requirements set out in legislation and national planning policy, that all submission documents have been prepared and that the Local Plan is ready to proceed to examination.
	Gateway 3 advice published	11/10/2028
34	Submit Local Plan for examination	24/10/2028
35	Examination recommendations published	29/03/2029	Examination of the Local Plan by an independent Planning Inspector to test whether the plan meets all legal and soundness requirements.
39	Adoption of Local Plan	02/05/2029	Publication of the Local Plan and adoption statement.