Wiltshire Local Plan passes first important milestone

Monday, 2 November 2026 at 12:51

Work to prepare the new Wiltshire Local Plan has reached an important milestone, with Wiltshire Council passing through ‘Gateway 1’ in the new plan-making process.

Gateway 1 is the first of three mandatory checkpoints in the Government’s new process for preparing Local Plans. It is the point at which councils publish a self-assessment of readiness, outlining the work undertaken and the arrangements in place to begin preparing their new Local Plan.

This includes having a timetable, appropriate project management arrangements, a proposed approach to engaging communities and stakeholders, an understanding of what the plan is likely to cover, and progress on its environmental assessment. The council has published the Gateway 1 self-assessment summary on its website.

Gateway 1 was passed on Saturday 31 October, marking the start of the formal 30-month Local Plan preparation process. It follows the initial Local Plan scoping consultation, which the council held in September.

The Local Plan will help guide future development across Wiltshire, setting out where and how the area should grow and providing the planning framework for future development.

Cllr Ian Thorn, Leader of Wiltshire Council and Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, said: “Passing through Gateway 1 is an important first step in preparing our new Local Plan for Wiltshire and sets us on the road to deciding where new homes, jobs and infrastructure should be provided across the county.

“We had lots of valuable feedback from people across the county in the recent scoping consultation and we will be using this to shape the way forward. Our communities are essential to shaping the future of Wiltshire, and we want them involved at every stage of the process.

“There is still a great deal of work ahead, and there will be opportunities for communities and stakeholders to have their say as the new Local Plan develops.”

Find out more about the Wiltshire Local Plan and the Gateway 1 self-assessment at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/local-plan

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