All About Tamworth's Local Plan
The following page sets out more information on Tamworth's new local plan, including it's role and preparation.
What is a local plan?
The local plan is a key document in shaping the future of Tamworth. It determines where new development should go and which areas of the borough should be protected. This includes identifying land for new homes, supporting businesses, creating jobs, securing much-needed infrastructure improvements, environmental protection and leisure development.
The local plan also covers a range of matters that will benefit both current and future residents of the borough. This includes protecting public open spaces and retail areas, increasing biodiversity and increasing the standard of homes and commercial buildings being delivered. It is also used to decide planning applications.
Why does Tamworth need a new local plan?
Tamworth has a current local plan, which was adopted in 2016 and covers the period 2006 to 2031.
Every council is legally required to review their plan at least every five years. In line with this, our current local plan was reviewed in 2020. This review concluded that a new local plan for Tamworth was required, with its preparation beginning in 2022.
Upon adoption, the new local plan will replace the existing Tamworth Borough Council Local Plan 2006-2031. Up until that point, we are still using the existing local plan to guide development in Tamworth and help determine planning applications.
What happens if we don't prepare a new local plan?
If we don't have a local plan, then it leaves Tamworth open to unplanned development. This means:
- We would have less control over where and when new development in Tamworth takes place;
- We could end up with more homes than we were planning for in locations that we have not necessarily chosen;
- We would have less control over supporting facilities like roads, schools, and other important services.
What context is the new local plan being prepared in?
It is important to understand the context within which the new local plan is being prepared. The government has announced a new, compulsory method for calculating how many houses each local authority needs to deliver.
This means that Tamworth must now plan for a significantly higher number of homes than before. We have experienced one of the highest increases, and are now expected by the government to deliver 445 new homes in Tamworth every year. This means that over the plan period (between 2022 and 2043), we will be required to deliver a total of 9,345 new homes.
The local plan deals with where these houses are going to be built, and sets out what we want these houses to be like.
What time period will the new local plan cover?
The new local plan will cover the period 2022-2043.
What area will the new local plan cover?
The new local plan and its policies will cover the entirety of the borough of Tamworth.
What is the purpose of consulting on the new local plan?
The purpose of engaging on the local plan is to receive written opinions and comments from a wide range of people and organisations on the proposed vision, plan objectives, planning policies, designations and site allocations.
The comments that we receive will help to inform the local plan as it is being prepared.
What is the process and timeline for the new local plan?
Developing a new local plan is a big task, which takes a number of years. There will be several opportunities for you to get involved as the local plan is put together.
The Local Development Scheme (LDS) is a public statement that sets out the Council's proposed timescales for the preparation of the new local plan. The LDS is available online and regularly updated to reflect the Council's most up-to-date position. At the moment, we anticipate that we will have a final draft plan (Regulation 19) ready for consultation by Summer/Autumn 2026. We then aim to submit the plan to the Planning Inspectorate in December 2026.