Preparing for Chelmsford’s third and final Local Plan consultation

Proposals for a final stage of engagement to update Chelmsford’s Local Plan have been approved by the city council’s Policy Board. Once adopted, the revised Local Plan will guide development in Chelmsford through to 2041. 

The vision for this review of the Local Plan is: “Guiding Chelmsford’s growth to be a greener, fairer, more-connected community”. Key aims are to: act on the climate and ecological emergency; tackle the housing affordability crisis; and strengthen communities and the economy. 

For a greener community: 

• pushing for zero carbon developments,
• boosting opportunities for active and sustainable travel,
• requiring new tree planting, expanding natural habitats and biodiversity, and
• improving water efficiency.

For a fairer community:

• maximising the delivery of affordable housing,
• creating places which are easily accessible,
• promoting walking, cycling and public transport,
• securing developer contributions to infrastructure, and
• providing many more jobs for local residents.

For a more connected community: 

• enhancing health and wellbeing and tackling health inequalities
• promoting active lifestyles,
• providing new spaces for play, recreation and sports and
• creating a network of great places and spaces which promote social cohesion.

The third round of consultation will begin on 4 February 2025 for six weeks. Residents and other interested parties will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed Chelmsford Local Plan Pre-Submission Document and the Pre-Submission Integrated Impact Assessment. Keep an eye on council updates for details on how to participate. 

Phases of Local Plan consultation

Planning law requires councils to review their Local Plan at least every five years to see if it needs updating. Chelmsford’s review process first started in winter 2021. 

The first public consultation was held in summer 2022, and stakeholders were invited to provide feedback on the Issues and Options document for the Local Plan. The responses, alongside collected evidence and national policy, helped the planning team to prepare the Preferred Options document which was then publicly consulted on in May and June 2024.  

This leads us to now, where all responses to the Preferred Options document, alongside updates to the National Planning Policy Framework, have helped to shape the Pre-Submission Document ready for a third and final round of formal public engagement.

Following the third consultation, Chelmsford’s Pre-Submission Local Plan and representations will be submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination before it can be adopted.

Third stage of consultation coming 4 February

This final engagement stage is about asking residents and stakeholders whether they consider the Local Plan is ‘sound’ and if not, what changes should be made. It presents the final draft plan that the city council intends to submit for independent examination by a planning inspector based on the consultations that have come before it, and the refinements to the plan’s supporting evidence base.

During the six weeks of public engagement, interested parties will be invited to comment through the planning portal to provide the information specified by the Planning Inspectorate to determine the ‘soundness’ of the plan. This will provide an opportunity to share why the proposed plan complies with relevant legislation and meets the tests of soundness set out in national planning policy. This consultation is not a referendum and there is no set number of representations that need to be made for further revisions to be considered. The representations received to the Local Plan at this stage are those that are forwarded to the Planning Inspector who will consider the merits of all unresolved objections.

The You Said, We Did Report summarises the key issues raised already and how the city council has used these to inform the Pre-Submission Local Plan. The whole Local Plan was reviewed following the second consultation of Preferred Options and numerous changes were made, including the addition of a new housing site allocation and deletion of some site allocations. Other changes include amendments to the wording of policies and plan text, to help address issues raised in the previous consultation comments and to improve the clarity, accuracy, consistency and effectiveness of the plan.

Changes to the National Planning Policy Framework

Since the second consultation was held in summer 2024, the Government has published a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This involves changing the numbers of houses each area is expected to build, including Chelmsford. It also makes the new standard method for deciding on housing numbers mandatory.

While Chelmsford’s target number of houses to build has increased overall, the planning team has managed to accommodate this and, as a result, the city council can proceed with its Local Plan under transitional arrangements. The transitional requirement means the council has to allocate sites for new homes for at least 80% of the revised NPPF’s annual housing number, which Chelmsford City Council is, so it is recommended that the Local Plan review can continue as planned.

“

“This is the final opportunity in the Local Plan review process for Chelmsford residents to help influence and shape their district. Updating Chelmsford’s Local Plan is important for helping to tackle the housing and climate crisis, to create a more connected community in Chelmsford and to support the creation of new jobs. The comments we’ve received through the two previous consultations have helped us to refine the plan and get us to this final stage of the review.

“Chelmsford, alongside much of the UK, needs to build genuinely affordable homes. Through the plan, we can also propose significant new land for employment which opens opportunities for job creation for local people. With decent infrastructure, we can build communities, not just more houses. The final consultation will begin on 4 February – I encourage you to read the draft Local Plan Pre-Submission Document and the Pre-Submission Integrated Impact Assessment to have your say on Chelmsford’s future growth.”

Cllr Stephen Robinson, Leader, Chelmsford City Council

Getting involved in the next steps

If you would like to be notified when the consultation launches, make sure to register online at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/planningpolicyconsult. If you made comments on any of the previous consultation stages, you will already be registered so you do not need to sign up again. 

Comments on social media cannot be considered as part of the consultation, so make sure to give feedback using the official channels. The responses to the formal consultation will be submitted with the Local Plan and plan evidence base to the Planning Inspector who, following the Independent Examination, will make recommendations to the council on whether the plan can be adopted.

By getting involved, you can help guide Chelmsford’s growth towards becoming a greener, fairer, and more connected community.