Government's new plan making system

Surrey County Council has been preparing a new Minerals and Waste Local Plan since 2021 to replace its existing minerals and waste planning policies. A draft plan was originally expected to be published for public consultation in June 2027 and adopted in 2029.

In March 2026, the Government introduced a new system for preparing local plans in England. The new system is designed to make plan-making faster and simpler. Under it, councils are expected to prepare, examine and adopt local plans within 30 months, while still giving residents, businesses, community groups and councillors opportunities to have their say.

As the Surrey Minerals and Waste Local Plan will not reach examination before the Government's deadline, we must stop work on the current plan and prepare a new plan under the new system.

The cost of preparing the plan is already included in the council's budget, and moving to the new system will not create any additional costs. Most of the research, evidence and public feedback collected since 2021 can still be used, so the work already completed will not be lost.

Like all local plans, the Minerals and Waste Local Plan must follow legal requirements and be independently examined before it can be adopted.

How the new system works

The new system follows a set timetable and includes several stages to check that the plan is progressing as expected.

These include:

• at least three public consultations
• three Government review stages, known as Gateways
• an independent examination before the plan can be adopted

The aim is to produce up-to-date local plans more quickly and provide greater certainty about future development and planning decisions.