West Northamptonshire Local Plan: Help shape the future of your area
Overview
We are seeking the views of residents, parishes, community groups, local organisations and businesses along with statutory consultees, landowners and other stakeholders and interested parties in shaping the Local Plan for West Northamptonshire.
The Local Plan is a key document shaping the future of development across West Northamptonshire up to 2043. It sets out how land will be used for housing, employment, green spaces, and infrastructure, while supporting regeneration and protecting the environment.
This updated draft reflects significant changes since the last consultation, including new policies on sustainability, health and wellbeing, and placemaking, alongside proposals for growth in towns and rural areas. It sets out the scale of development that needs to be provided for over the plan period, where that development will take place and sets requirements for that development.
The Plan includes:
- A refreshed spatial strategy supporting regeneration and brownfield development alongside support for our rural areas
- Policies to help achieve net zero and improve health outcomes.
- Enhanced protection for valued green spaces and opportunities for communities to nominate more.
- Updated guidance on housing mix, affordable homes, and employment land.
- It sets out the scale of development that needs to be provided for over the plan period, where that development will take place and sets requirements for that development (for example, regarding climate change (1.1.3) that the Plan covers the period up to 2043.
Our Local Plan is a key document which sets out how we will plan for the future of West Northamptonshire positively and sustainably by guiding decisions on future development proposals and creating places where people wish to live, work and visit and will thrive.
The draft Plan sets out a vision and objectives for the area, its ambitions for new development and commitment to dealing with environmental issues. The Plan allocates land for housing and employment, identifies green spaces for protection and contains a series of planning policies for these and many other topics such as leisure, transport, health and wellbeing, infrastructure and the environment, and where development can and cannot take place.
Once adopted, the new Plan will replace current plans that cover West Northamptonshire and form part of the development plan against which planning decisions are made.
Stages of the Local Plan
Whilst the Plan is still being prepared, evidence is still being gathered and options are still being considered it contains a fully developed spatial strategy, allocations and policies which we are inviting comments on. This stage of plan making is referred to as the Regulation 18 stage and follows a previous Regulation 18 consultation on a draft plan in April 2024. At that time, it was envisaged that a Regulation 19 plan would be published in January 2025 with its subsequent submission under Regulation 22 for examination in April 2025.
However, the publication of a revised National Planning Policy Framework in December 2024 saw the Council’s overall housing need increase by 391 dwellings per annum and the need to procure updated evidence and reconsider options, including a spatial strategy, has affected the timetable for plan production. This has also necessitated a longer plan period in order to ensure it has a fifteen-year life. Following this current consultation publication of a plan at Regulation 19 and submission for examination is now expected by December 2026.
Public Exhibitions
The consultation period includes a number of drop-in sessions known as public exhibitions, where people can view the draft and ask any questions they may have on the draft Plan. These are being held at the following locations, no appointment required:
- Monday 2 February: Moulton Community Centre, NN3 7AX from 1.30pm to 4.30pm
- Friday 6 February: The Forum, Towcester, NN12 6AF from midday to 5pm
- Tuesday 10 February: Wootton Community Centre, NN4 6ED from 2pm to 7.30pm
- Wednesday 11 February: Middleton Cheney Village Hall, OX17 2LT from midday to 4.30pm
- Thursday 12 February: Mercure Hotel, Daventry, NN11 0SG from 3pm to 6.30pm
- Thursday 19 February: The Grosvenor Centre, Northampton, NN1 2EW from 12.30pm to 4.30pm
- Wednesday 4 March: Long Buckby Community Centre, NN6 7QB, from 3pm to 7.30pm
- Wednesday 11 March: Brackley Town Hall, NN13 7AB from 12.30pm to 6pm
Related detail
The draft Plan is accompanied by a number of technical documents and other evidence (evidence base). All can be found on our dedicated New Local Plan for West Northamptonshire page. The following open in a new window. You may wish to have these open when considering your response.
How to have your say
You can have your say on the draft Plan by completing an online survey.
If you need assistance to complete the online questionnaire, would like a copy of it in another format, or respond via an alternative method our contact details are as follows:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0300 126 7000
Postal address:
Planning Policy - Draft Local Plan
West Northamptonshire Council
One Angel Square (Service Yard)
Angel Street
Northampton
NN1 1ED
This consultation ends 27/03/2026