Cabinet to be asked to approve the start of work on a new Local Plan

Cabinet will be asked to approve the start of work on a new Local Plan that will guide where homes, jobs and infrastructure are delivered across Barnsley in the years ahead as required by the Government in order to hit the 1.5m homes target announced by the Secretary of State.

The Local Plan sets out where future development will take place, ensuring new housing, employment sites, transport improvements, schools and healthcare facilities are planned together. It provides the framework for planning decisions across the borough and helps ensure development takes place in the right locations to support sustainable growth.

We'll work with residents, businesses and community groups to make sure your voice is heard and considered as the plan develops. Early consultation is currently proposed to begin in January 2027.

The current Local Plan was adopted in January 2019 and runs until 2033. However, significant changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and a new plan-making system introduced by central government mean many councils across the country, including us, now need to prepare new Local Plans.

Our new Local Plan is an opportunity for us to control how Barnsley grows in the future.

If we don't have a Local Plan, the Government has powers which would allow the Secretary of State to take over the process and write one for Barnsley. This has happened to other areas of the country.

It would leave us with less control over where and when development happens, the number of homes built in the borough, and supporting facilities like roads, schools and other services.

The Cabinet report recommends formally starting a full update of the Local Plan and publishing the required notice of intention to begin the process. It also proposes a timetable that would see the plan progress through a series of consultation and assessment stages with a target adoption date of September 2029.

Once adopted, the Local Plan will become the statutory development plan for Barnsley and all decisions on planning applications will be made in accordance with it.

Councillor William Brown, Leader of Barnsley Council, said: "The people of Barnsley need homes they can afford. The new Local Plan will help decide where homes, jobs and infrastructure are delivered across the borough for years to come.

"We will take a brownfield first approach to development in Barnsley. That is common sense. But we must be realistic about the choices ahead.

"We don't have enough brownfield land to meet the government’s five-year housing targets. This means we'll need Green Belt development as part of the conversation.

"I know how deeply people in Barnsley care about our countryside, Green Belt and farmland. I do too. We'll protect as much of this as we can.

"Growth matters. It supports jobs, investment and local services. However, it must happen in the right places and bring clear benefits to the people who live here.

"What's important is that decisions about future development are made here in Barnsley. A new Local Plan gives us the chance to decide where homes, jobs and infrastructure should go, based on what works best for our communities. It also gives more certainty to residents, landowners and developers about where future growth should happen.

"Starting this work now means we can make those choices ourselves rather than having them made for us. That's important for Barnsley's future.

"We'll begin asking residents, businesses and community groups for their views in the new year. I encourage everyone to take part. The choices we make now will help shape the growth of Barnsley for decades to come."