Last updated on 17 February 2026
Kingston Council has issued an update on the borough’s long‑delayed new Local Plan, following the Place Committee meeting on 5th February 2026.
Every council must have a Local Plan to set out how the area will develop in the years ahead. Kingston’s has been repeatedly delayed, but the council says work is now underway on a new plan that will outline what the borough will look like over the next 20 years.
According to the council, the new Local Plan will set the vision and policies for future development — deciding what goes where, from homes and workplaces to schools, medical centres and parks, while also protecting and enhancing the borough’s heritage and natural environment.
Once adopted, it will replace the existing Core Strategy (2012) and the Kingston Town Centre Area Action Plan (2008). It will guide decisions on housing, employment, infrastructure, open space and community facilities through to 2043, and provide the policies used to approve or refuse planning applications.
Public consultation
The council is proposing to run a public consultation on Kingston’s final draft Local Plan (called a Regulation 19 consultation) in summer 2026. This will be the main opportunity for individuals and organisations to influence the plan before it goes to the government’s Planning Inspectorate by the end of the year.
Timetable
At the Place Committee meeting on 5th February, the following revised timetable was agreed:
- Q2 2026 – Publication of the draft Local Plan (Regulation 19 consultation)
- Q4 2026 – Submission to the Secretary of State
- Q2 2027 – Examination in Public
- Q3 2027 – Anticipated adoption
This proposed timetable is part of the borough’s Local Development Scheme, which is the council’s timeline for producing strategic planning documents.
We understand from reading the Kingston Society’s website that missing the end of year deadline for submission to the government could require the council to restart plan-making under a new national system, potentially delaying adoption by several years.
Call for sites – deadline 18th March
As part of collecting the evidence the council needs to develop the Local Plan, they have launched a ‘Call for Sites’. This is an opportunity for everyone, particularly landowners, agents and site developers, to suggest sites they believe have the potential to be developed in the future. Suggesting a site doesn’t mean that it will be developed. The deadline for suggestions is 18th March 2026.
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