The first consultation on the plan replacing Harrogate's Local Plan closes on 7 December. It asks what the plan should cover, not for views on individual sites.
Residents have until Monday 7 December to comment on the plan that will decide where new homes and jobs go in North Yorkshire until 2045. It will replace the Harrogate District Local Plan, along with the plans of the six other former districts.
The council opened the six-week consultation on 26 October. It is the first of three formal chances to influence the plan before it is adopted.
Our own Harrogate planning page had wrongly given the dates as 23 October to 4 December. We have corrected it.
What you are being asked
This stage comes before any map of housing sites. The consultation document asks for views on:
- what the plan should cover
- the key priorities for its vision
- issues specific to your area, and how the plan could help with them
- options for where future growth could go
- the evidence needed to support the plan
A second document, the draft engagement strategy, asks how the council should involve people as the work goes on.
The call for sites is closed. The council says it is not asking for comments on sites already put forward.
When the later chances come
The published timetable sets out the rest of the process:
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 26 October to 7 December 2026 | This scoping consultation |
| 30 April 2027 | First gateway self-assessment published |
| 3 September to 15 October 2027 | Content and evidence consultation |
| 29 September to 24 November 2028 | Proposed local plan consultation, including policies and site allocations |
| By October 2029 | Target for adoption |
The council’s release is a little looser on the last date. It says it hopes the plan will be adopted “by the end of 2029”.
Cllr Mark Crane, the deputy leader whose brief includes the local plan, said: “We want to hear from as many people as possible because their views will help shape the plan and ensure it reflects the needs and aspirations of communities across North Yorkshire.”
Why it matters here
The current Harrogate plan commits the former district to a minimum of 13,377 new homes between 2014 and 2035. It stays in force until the new plan is adopted, so planning applications are still judged against it.
The new plan starts again under the national system that came into force in March. The council says feedback from its 2025 “first conversation” will still count, but it had to restart the formal process.
What it means for you
- To respond, use the council’s consultation portal before the end of 7 December.
- If you care about a particular site, site allocations come at the proposed plan stage in autumn 2028. This round is for the wider issues your area faces.
- If you responded in 2025, the council says that feedback remains important, but this is a new formal consultation.
Have your say