Setting the vision and objectives (Regulation 18) - completed
We held 2 consultations in 2023 and 2024 for the Regulation 18 stage.
The first consultation outlined our vision and priorities for Medway's future growth. The second consultation took place in summer 2024 and provided details on:
- proposed policies
- potential areas for development
- the 3 options for locating development across Medway.
Find out more about the last consultation.
Developing the pre-submission draft Local Plan - completed
We have prepared policies and set out a growth plan using our evidence base of technical studies, assessments and consultation feedback.
The draft plan shows sites preferred for new development.
Publishing the pre-submission draft Local Plan (Regulation 19)
You can have your say on our growth plans and policies.
The draft Local Plan was approved by Full Council on Thursday 26 June 2025 and has now been published.
All comments will be collated and we'll summarise the issues raised before being sent to the Planning Inspectorate.
We will not be making changes to the plan at this stage, but we may identify some minor amendments for the inspector's consideration as part of the independent examination.
Take part in our Regulation 19 Local Plan consultation.
Examination of the plan (Regulation 22)
We aim to submit our draft Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination before the end of this year. We'll be presenting the draft plan and supporting information including:
- consultation documents and comments received
- supporting documents and technical reports.
A planning inspector will assess the plan and hold hearing sessions with us and parties interested in the plan to discuss the proposals. You can tell us if you want to participate in the hearing sessions to make your comments directly to the inspector.
The inspector will consider if the plan meets the legal requirements and the soundness tests, and provide a report to us at the end of the examination.
We'll consult on proposed changes to the plan after the examination.
Adopting the Local Plan (Regulation 24)
Once the Local Plan has been adopted, it will replace the current 2003 Local Plan and be used to make decisions on planning applications in Medway.
We want to have the Local Plan in place by the end of 2026, subject to the progress of the examination.
We'll continue to review and update the plan.