Barnsley Council to seek cabinet approval for new Local Plan

Barnsley Council will ask its cabinet to approve the start of work on a new Local Plan that will shape housing, jobs and infrastructure across the borough.

The proposed plan is a response to the Government's ambition of delivering 1.5 million homes, a target set by the Secretary of State. It will map out where new homes, employment sites, transport links, schools and health facilities should be located, ensuring that development supports sustainable growth.

Early consultation with residents, businesses and community groups is slated to begin in January 2027. The council says the process will give locals a chance to influence where and how the borough expands, and it will publish a formal notice of intention once the cabinet gives its approval.

Why a new plan is needed

Barnsley's current Local Plan, adopted in January 2019, is due to run until 2033, but recent changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and the introduction of a new plan-making system require councils to produce updated plans. Without a new plan, the Government could intervene and the Secretary of State would draft a plan for Barnsley, limiting the council's control over the timing, location and scale of development.

Councillor William Brown, Leader of Barnsley Council, stressed that the borough needs affordable homes and that a "brownfield-first" approach is common sense. He acknowledged that the existing supply of brownfield sites is insufficient to meet the five-year housing targets, meaning some Green Belt land may need to be considered. Brown added that protecting the countryside remains a priority and that any Green Belt development would be carefully weighed.

Consultation and timetable

The cabinet report recommends formally launching a full update of the Local Plan and sets out a timetable that moves the plan through several consultation and assessment stages, aiming for adoption by September 2029. Once adopted, the Local Plan will become the statutory development plan for Barnsley, meaning all future planning applications will be judged against its provisions.

Brown concluded by urging the community to take part in the upcoming consultation, saying the choices made now will shape Barnsley's growth for decades. He highlighted that local decision-making offers certainty to residents, landowners and developers, and that the council prefers to retain control rather than have a central authority dictate the borough's future.