What is the East Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2015 (as amended 2023)?

The East Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2015 (as amended 2023) is part of the Development Plan for the District, setting out the vision, objectives, spatial strategy and planning policies of the district. It also identifies land and allocates sites for different types of development, such as housing and employment, to deliver the planned growth for the district to 2031.

The preparation of the Local Plan was informed by evidence and went through several stages of public consultation.  The Local Plan was adopted by the Council on 21 April 2015, with some small changes to it adopted by the Council on 19 October 2023. It is therefore referred to as the East Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2015 (as amended 2023). 

How is the Local Plan used?

The Local Plan is used by lots of people for different reasons, such as the Council’s Development Management case officers to determine planning applications. It is also used by applicants, making planning applications in the district. Members of the public and other parties can use the plan to look up site allocations and policies in the district of interest to them.

The Local Plan and its evidence base also help inform the preparation of parish based Neighbourhood Plans. 

The 2023 update of the Local Plan

To be effective plans need to be kept up-to-date. The National Planning Policy Framework states policies in local plans should be reviewed to assess whether they need updating at least once every 5 years, 

In April 2020 the Council determined that its Local Plan 2015 required revision, but only partially and only in respect of its strategic housing policy, GROWTH1, and some of its supporting text. The rest of the Local Plan was considered to not, at that time, to be in need of updating. 

Over the period 2020 to 2023, a process of updating the Local Plan therefore took place, focussed on the issue of updating policy GROWTH1. This concluded on 19 October 2023.

If you require any background documents associated with the preparation or examination of the 2023 update of the Local Plan, then please email planningpolicy@eastcambs.gov.uk.