Emerging Kirklees Local Plan

On 25th March 2026, new plan-making regulations were published which introduced new requirements to commence preparation of a Local Plan: The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 .

Under the new plan-making system, we are required to publish a notice of intention to commence Local Plan preparation and a Local Plan Timetable.

Cabinet resolved to formally commence a local plan under the new plan-making system and the submission and publication of a notice of its intention to commence preparation of a new local plan and a Local Plan Timetable to replace the Local Development Scheme July 2025.

Early engagement

We launched our Kirklees Local Plan Early Engagement in late 2024. The consultation ran from 25 November to 28 February 2025. Feedback from this consultation will help shape our vision and objectives and help us identify what you consider to be the main challenges and opportunities when we are planning for the future of Kirklees.

Updating our Local Plan

When the current Kirklees Local Plan was first adopted in 2019, Kirklees Council committed to reviewing the plan within five years, to ensure it was still fit for purpose. The following years saw the announcement of the Climate Emergency, the COVID-19 pandemic, and great impact on the local and national economy.

When the council undertook the review last year, it was determined that the Local Plan would require a full update, taking into account these major changes as well as updating housing supply, employment land delivery, the supply of jobs and climate change.

The Local Plan was reviewed over Summer 2023 and the outcomes are set out in the Cabinet report, 17th October 2023.

Why we are updating the Kirklees Local Plan

• To ensure that our Local Plan is up-to-date, as it forms the main tool for assessing planning applications.
• To develop more ambitious climate change policies to support the Climate Change Action Plan for Kirklees and ambition of being net zero and climate ready by 2038.
• To deliver a vision for Kirklees up to 2043.
• To set out how and where development will be located, together with associated infrastructure. We must set out a strategy to deliver housing and employment requirements to provide for the needs of our residents and businesses. This includes identifying a five-year supply of specific deliverable housing sites to meet the district's housing needs and land for employment to create job opportunities.
• To produce locally distinctive planning policies which support sustainable communities and places.
• To make sure our Local Plan is in keeping with national planning policy. This is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The purpose of a Local Plan

The Kirklees Local Plan will set the planning policy framework for the district, guiding future growth and change over the period 2024-2043. It sets out:

• A vision and strategic objectives for development within Kirklees (particularly for new housing and employment).
• How and where different levels of development will be located (site allocations).
• A suite of planning policies to guide decisions on planning applications.
• Designations showing land to be protected or safeguarded (such as local green spaces and priority employment areas).
• Infrastructure provision to support the delivery of development.
• A monitoring framework to review the plan's success.