The Local Plan Review (LPR)

The Government requires every Local Plan to be reviewed at least once every five years. Our current Local Plan sets out our planning policies up to 2026, and we are undertaking a review of our Local Plan to cover the period up to 2039. The review is termed the 'Local Plan Review'. 

Regularly reviewing the Local Plan ensures that it continues to look to the future and is able to meet the current and emerging needs of the district. It means that new opportunities and challenges can be addressed - such as the climate emergency and the changes to how we live and work as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Click here to watch our video about the West Berkshire Local Plan Review.

Current progress

The LPR was submitted to the Secretary of State on 31 March 2023, and the submission documents can be accessed here.

Planning Inspector William Fieldhouse BA(Hons) MA MRTPI has been appointed to undertake an independent examination into the soundness of the LPR. 

Hearing sessions will commence at 9.30am on Wednesday 8 May 2024 at Shaw House, Church Road, Newbury, RG14 2DR. The hearings are due to take place over a four week period, with Week 2 due to be held within the Council Chamber of West Berkshire Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury, RG14 5LD. Further information is contained within a document issued by the Inspector which can be viewed here.

Further details about the examination can be found here. 

Supporting evidence

The LPR must be supported by a robust evidence base. A number of studies and assessments have been undertaken and information has been collected to inform the plan. The studies and assessments prepared to date can be found here.

Previous consultations

We have undertaken four previous consultations which have fed into the preparation of the LPR. Details of the consultations can be found here.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have prepared answers to the most frequently asked questions to assist with the understanding of the LPR. These can be viewed here.

Facebook Live

On Monday 8 March 2021 we held a Facebook Live on the LPR. The video can be viewed below and you can read the questions we received prior and during the Facebook Live here. 

On 29 November 2021, a response from the Acting Chief Executive to a letter from a member of the public regarding the proposed Local Plan Review allocation at North East Thatcham was published. You can view the response  here [921KB] .