Dorset Council Local Plan - scoping consultation 2026

1.1.1.    Dorset Council is preparing a new local plan for the Dorset Council area.

1.1.2.    The local plan will help guide how Dorset changes in the future. It will set out where new homes, jobs, infrastructure, community facilities and environmental improvements should happen. Once adopted, it will be used to help decide planning applications across the Dorset Council area.

1.2.1.    Previous consultations on the local plan have included sites and strategy for meeting the development needs of Dorset, including for new homes, jobs, and infrastructure. However, changes made by the government mean that a brief reset is needed in order to follow new arrangements for producing the local plan. 

1.2.2.    This scoping consultation follows earlier work on the local plan. All the responses and accompanying evidence which has been received to date will be taken into account, so they don’t need to be resubmitted. There will be more opportunities to comment next year as work on the plan progresses including on sites and policies. The main purpose of this consultation is to understand what issues the local plan should focus on and how people would like to be involved in future consultations.

1.3.1.    The government introduced a new system for preparing local plans on 25 March 2026. The new approach is intended to make local plans shorter, clearer and more focused on local issues, while reducing unnecessary evidence gathering and duplication of national planning policy. A new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published on 17 August 2026, which includes national decision making policies designed to further simplify local plans. 

1.3.2.    Under the new local plan system, councils must prepare local plans within a 30 month timetable and keep them up to date through regular review. The process also includes several consultation stages and independent checks before a plan can be adopted. The following diagram shows the stages of the new system, and where we are in the process.

Figure 1: the stages of local plan production, and where we are in the process

Spatial Development Strategies

1.3.3.    The new planning framework also introduces Spatial Development Strategies (SDSs). These are strategic plans that will address issues that are best considered across wider geographic areas, such as some infrastructure and cross-boundary matters. Local plans will need to be prepared in general conformity with any relevant SDS.

1.3.4.    At present, there is no SDS in place for Dorset, but Dorset will fall within the Wessex area alongside Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP), Somerset and Wiltshire councils. As work progresses the emerging SDS will need to be taken into consideration. At present the local plan is being prepared in accordance with the new local plan regulations and national planning policy.

1.4.1.    This scoping consultation is an initial stage for preparing the Dorset Council Local Plan under the new planning system (Regulation 20 of the Town & Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026). The purpose of the consultation is to consider what the local plan should include, how people should be engaged, and any other matters the council considers to be relevant. 

1.4.2.    The consultation runs from: 21 September to 26 October 2026, and considers:

• the scope of the local plan
• themes for the local plan's vision and objectives (building on previous local plan consultations and the Council Plan)
• approaches to developing a spatial strategy 
• key planning issues for the Dorset Council area
• what further evidence is needed, missing or needs updating to inform the local plan 
• a draft proposed engagement approach

1.4.3.    Questions are included throughout this document. You do not have to answer every question: please answer those that are most relevant to you. The supporting text explains why each question is being asked.

1.4.4.    Please note, this consultation is not seeking views on possible sites for development, any specific policies, or presenting any information on possible sites for development at this stage. There will be further opportunities to submit sites for consideration through the local plan at a later stage.

1.5.1.    You can respond online using this survey. You can also access the consultation material and supporting information on the Dorset Council Local Plan webpage. 

1.5.2.    The online survey will give you the chance to comment on all the matters that are set out within this document. You will need to provide your name, email address, and postcode to submit a response. Your email address will be required to ensure authenticity and so that the council can contact you about the local plan in the future. This information will be removed from our systems when it is no longer needed, in accordance with the Council’s privacy policy.

1.5.3.    The easiest way to respond is through this online survey. If you cannot use the online survey, you can download and complete a response form which is available on the Dorset Council Local Plan web pages. You can email the completed form to planningpolicyconsult@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or post it to: Spatial Planning team, Dorset Council, County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester DT1 1XJ. Please mark paper correspondence “Dorset Council Local Plan scoping consultation 2026”.

1.5.4.    The content of the consultation is designed to be fully accessible. For further information, if you need help submitting a response or if you require the consultation material in alternative formats please contact us:

• Telephone: 01305 838334
• Email: planningpolicyconsult@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk 

1.5.5.    Responses must be received by midnight on 26 October 2026.

1.6.1.  Please note, any data collected will be retained and processed in accordance with Dorset Council's privacy policy. If you provide your contact details at any point throughout the survey, your data will only be used for the purpose of preparing the local plan. The council will not use the data for unrelated or incompatible tasks unless it seeks further consent.

1.6.2.  By responding to the consultation, you are accepting that your response and the information within it will be in the public domain, and that it may be disclosed if requested under the Freedom of Information Act/Environmental Information Regulations. However, any published information will exclude individuals’ contact information but will identify individuals by name.

1.6.3.  Your information will be retained by the council in line with its information retention schedule.

1.7.1.  After completing this scoping consultation responses will be processed, reviewed and published. The substantive issues that are raised in the responses will be taken into consideration as part of work on the content of the emerging local plan. The feedback that relates to public and stakeholder consultation for plan making will be considered and used to shape the engagement strategy that will be used throughout the plan making process.

1.7.2.  The next formal stage in the plan making process is the ‘Gateway 1 self-assessment’. The local plan timetable sets out the anticipated dates for each of the stages relating to the preparation of the local plan, including the assessment gateways.