The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning)(England) Regulations 2026 comes into effect today, 25 March 2026
The first of the five instruments to update the town plan-making system has been signed into effect from today.
This first regulation will replace regulations that have not been updated since 2012.
The new regulations will guide local plans
Implementing reforms from the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, the update to the plan-making system consists of amendments to the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning)(England) Regulations 2012 as well as consequential amendments to other related regulations, as well as transitional arrangements, and provisions to enable plan-makers to finalise emerging plans.
Alongside this, a letter from the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government has been sent to chief planning officers to ensure they are aware of these updates and what is within each tool. The letter reads: “Given the government’s ambition to achieve full coverage of up-to-date local plans across the country as soon as possible, the key regulations for new plan-making system have been issued, to enable authorities to commence plan preparation from March 2026. Within the next few weeks further regulations will be brought forward on plan-making data standards, relating to plan timetables and housing requirements.
“Further regulations are expected to be laid later this year covering: the later stages of the preparation process for local plans which incorporate minerals and waste content; details of post-adoption monitoring requirements; procedural matters in relation to plan intervention powers; and updates to plan-making components of local government legislation.”
It continues: “Councils still have to plan on the basis of local housing need, assessed using the standard method, and importantly they still have to consider meeting the needs of other neighbouring authorities where they have unmet needs, which forms part of the tests of soundness.
“The advantage of having the cooperation requirement in policy rather than legislation is that deficiencies in applying it can potentially to be rectified by the inspector during the examination, paving the way for more sites to be added, and plans which otherwise may have failed to be adopted. A point made by PINS’ then CEO Paul Morrison in his letter to the Minister on 15 December 2025 available here.
“Government are clear that these steps will cumulatively result in a planning system which is more positively aimed at delivering the housing and other development that we need in a planned and predictable way.”
A package of five tools
The overall regulation, along with its own effects, also includes four tools:
• The Requirement to Assist with certain plan making (Prescribed Public bodies)(England) Regulations 2026
• The Town and Country Planning (Costs of Independed Examinations for Local Planning Etc.)(Standard Daily Amount)(England) Regulations 2026
• The Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (Commencement No. 11 and Saving and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2026
• The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (Local Planning)(Modification and consequential amendments)(England) Regulations 2026
Information on all of these can be found here.
It is confirmed that these regulations do not immediately outright replace the old regulations, rather they have entered a dual-running period where the legacy system remains in effect for plans submitted before or on December 31 2026.
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