Scoping Report

5. Local Plan content – Our initial considerations

5.1 We have started thinking about the likely content of the new local plan. We have done this by considering what the key issues are that must be tackled, and how they can be addressed in the new local plan, taking account of any neighbourhood plans that are in force and how we can avoid overlapping national policy (see paragraph 3.12). We will need much more detailed information and analysis (See Appendix 1) before we can conclude on what to include in a draft new local plan.

Identifying and addressing key issues

5.2 The remainder of this section provides more details about some of the key issues for the new local plan and how it might address them. It does not consider issues that are largely unchanged from as they are described in the emerging Rutland Local Plan 2021-2041; instead, it focusses on the main areas where we know new policy and proposals will be needed. The amount of information we have provided may be different for each issue; this reflects the varying amount of further work that we still need to do on each of them.

5.3 The issues that are covered in the remainder of this section are as follows:

1. Where new development should go – spatial options
2. Role of each settlement in meeting development needs
3. What new land could be used for new development?
4. New housing development
5. Meeting employment needs
6. New Infrastructure
7. Affordable housing and meeting accommodation needs
8. Climate change and biodiversity
9. Minerals and waste
10. Other issues

Where should new development go?

5.4 The biggest challenge for this new local plan will be accommodating the amount of new employment and housing development that is needed. We need to make sure that it is distributed across the county in the most sustainable manner, to meet existing and future needs in the long-term public interest. In doing so, we also need to make sure that:

• the plan is deliverable and accords with national and local priorities, such as the ‘brownfield land first’ approach
• we maximise the use of existing infrastructure; and
• new development can support the provision of new infrastructure.

5.5 The long-standing spatial strategy approach of incremental growth, which reinforces and reflects the existing pattern of development, is unlikely to be suitable any longer, so we will also have to consider other spatial options.

5.6At this very early stage, some of the broad spatial options we could consider may include the following options 1 to 4. They are only possible approaches at this stage – new evidence that we are gathering, together with the outcome of this consultation may result in new or amended options emerging.

• Option 1: Continuing the spatial distribution of growth outlined in the emerging local plan, but with the addition of one or more separate new communities to accommodate the overall uplift in development that is needed.
• Option 2: Continuing the spatial distribution of growth outlined in the emerging local plan, but with the addition of a new separate community and significant planned extensions to the main towns of Oakham and/or Uppingham, to further strengthen their roles as the main towns in the county.
• Option 3: Continuing the spatial distribution of growth outlined in the emerging local plan, with the addition of a new separate community, more limited planned extensions to the main towns of Oakham and Uppingham, and additional development in some of the larger or accessible villages.
• Option 4: Planned change to the existing settlement hierarchy. This could be:
  1. Focusing new growth on Oakham, by extending it in more than one direction. This could include extending the urban area to include Langham and/or Burley.
  2. Planning growth at Uppingham appropriate to its status as one of only two towns in the county.
  3. Planning significant new development and infrastructure in the countryside where it could consolidate and enhance the sustainability and community infrastructure of poorly served existing villages, e.g. Cottesmore/Kendrew/Greetham.

5.7 Options 1 to 3 include a new separate community. We know that there is developer interest in delivering one or more new communities/neighbourhoods in Rutland. It was expressed through representations made on the emerging local plan and in hearing statements made as part of the examination of the local plan. The areas of land being promoted are Former RAF Woolfox (Pegasus Planning and Define on behalf of Messrs PJSR Hill and Pickerace), and Land at St. Georges Barracks (Savills on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation). The promoters of land at Woolfox consider that it may be capable of accommodating several thousand homes as well as new employment and other uses, whereas the promoted proposition at St. George’s Barracks is for the low hundreds of homes. Both areas have been submitted for consideration as potential development sites in this new local plan as part of the recent Call for Sites exercise (see paragraph, 5.15d below). Over the coming months, we will be working with the promoters of these and other large sites that have been submitted so that we can better understand their proposition and the planning and delivery considerations that arise.

5.8 The options above that include a new separate community are likely to have headroom for meeting local housing needs beyond the plan period. This is because it can take many years to plan and deliver the roads and other infrastructure needed to support a new community before homes can start to be built, and building rates are controlled by developers, taking account of market conditions and their ability to resource construction. The upside of this is that once agreed, continued provision in such areas can help to provide more certainty about the direction of growth in the future over a longer term.

5.9 We still have a lot of technical assessment work to do to understand this aspect of the new plan better and to come up with a shortlist of reasonable options to test. The results of that work, together with the feedback from this consultation, will inform the draft spatial options that will appear in the next consultation in Spring 2027.

What will be the role of each settlement in meeting new development needs ?

5.10 The emerging Rutland Local Plan 2021 – 2041 sets out a three tier hierarchy of settlements across Rutland – market towns, larger villages, and smaller villages and hamlets. Planned limits to development are identified to control the extent of new development for all these tiers, but the policy controls are different for each tier, such that only limited very small-scale development is permitted at the third-tier ‘smaller villages’ settlements. The emerging plan distinguishes between smaller villages and larger villages on the basis of size; settlements with a population of more than 300 people or at least 140 houses are identified as larger villages and those below that are smaller villages or hamlets.

5.11 Under the new draft national planning policy (draft NPPF), we have to identify settlements and define a settlement boundary for each. The draft NPPF sets out a presumption in favour of development in settlements (draft NPPF Policy S4) and a presumption against development (with exceptions) for areas outside (draft NPPF Policy S5). Under the draft NPPF, we may not be able to have different policy controls for settlements in different tiers of the hierarchy, but we can still take account of the settlement hierarchy when deciding where new development allocations should go.

5.12 We also need to consider if there are any villages where we need to consider higher levels of development, to allow for organic growth, or to help sustain a service or community facility. We will need to identify and revise the planned limits to development for any settlement in Rutland to which this applies. For example, we already know that there is up to 40% spare capacity in primary school places in the Uppingham cluster of schools, and that Empingham has very low pupil numbers (13).

5.13Our initial thoughts are that Oakham, Uppingham and the larger villages should remain the backbone of an effective settlement hierarchy to inform where new development should go. However, we need to carry out further work to review the hierarchy, reflecting recent evidence, changes in population, infrastructure provision, accessibility and local circumstances, and to consider what the final new NPPF says on the matter.

5.14Our assessment as to which settlements will be most suitable for new development will consider the settlement hierarchy, as well as which are the most sustainable locations and where the available sites are located. We will publish a paper on our method for doing this at the next consultation stage (Spring 2027)

What new land could be used for new development ?

5.15 We have already started the initial work to identify sites that may potentially be allocated in the new local plan. Our sources of information for this are:

1. Sites in the emerging local plan – if these do not yet have planning permission, they can be carried forward into the new local plan, provided there is no new information that indicates otherwise.
2. Any new sites that have been added to the brownfield land register.
3. Any vacant and underused land and buildings the Council is aware of.
4. Sites submitted to the Council for consideration through the recent Call for Sites (June/July 2026) exercise. 173 potential development sites were submitted for assessment by us, of which 1 site was submitted for a new settlement, 143 are proposed for housing development; 5 are proposed for employment uses, 22 for mixed uses, 4 of which are for Gypsies and Travelers, including one site that also proposed accommodation for Travelling Showpeople. In addition to this, 2 sites were submitted for other uses. You can see the location of the sites that have been submitted here Appendix 5.

5.16 We will only need to allocate some of the sites that have been identified so far. Our next step is to assess all the sites so that we can select the ones that are the best fit for our emerging spatial strategy and plan priorities. We have prepared a draft site assessment methodology (Appendix 6). It sets out how we intend to assess the sites and the factors we intend to use for the assessment. We will be collecting consistent information for all of the sites, covering things like environmental, physical and social infrastructure constraints and the nature of the land (e.g. greenfield/brownfield, agricultural land classification), and assessing the sustainability credentials of each site. We will then use the results of that work to select a draft list of sites to meet the plan requirements. We expect to publish the initial draft list of sites for inclusion in the new local plan in Spring 2027. If you have any comments on the methodology, you can provide comments in the box associated with it.

New housing development

5.17 To comply with national planning policy, the new local plan must meet the need for significantly more new housing. This is a big challenge for the new local plan, and an area where there is the most amount of new work to be done.

5.18 For the new local plan period, 2026 to 2046, the minimum amount of new housing in Rutland is 5,380 dwellings – this is about a 30% uplift on the dwelling stock that was recorded for the Census in 2021 (17,900 dwellings). This number is the output of a national formula for housing need, known as the standard method for calculating housing need. We are required to use this housing need as the starting point for planning to meet our housing needs.

5.19 We still have a lot of work to do to understand how much new housing we should plan for – known as our housing requirement. We need to consider if there are good reasons to plan for more than the minimum, e.g. to deliver more affordable homes, and to make sure we are making the right assumptions and allowances. There are also assumptions for things like windfall development (unanticipated sites), and allowances to maintain a sufficient supply of sites and flexibility throughout the plan period, and particularly for the first 5 years after adoption, that we must take into account.

5.20 Our latest housing monitoring data (1st April 2026) indicates the following potential existing sources of supply that could contribute 2626 dwellings to meeting the overall housing need:

• 2174 dwellings with planning permission, but not yet started;
• 122 dwellings that could be built on allocated sites in the emerging Rutland Local Plan 2021 – 2041 which do not yet have planning permission; and
• 330 dwellings on sites allocated in neighbourhood plans.
• If all these come to fruition, that is a supply of 2626 dwellings that could contribute to meeting housing needs.

5.21 We need to test if delivery from these sites is still likely, but if it is, it suggests that there is a minimum residual requirement of 2754 (5380 minus 2626). However, national planning policy requires us to ensure there is a sufficient supply of housing land to meet the minimum requirement. We think that an appropriate approach for Rutland is to plan for a 20% buffer for the 5 years from when we anticipate adopting the local plan (2029) - brought forward from later in the plan period - and a 5% buffer thereafter. This would mean that we will plan for 5528 new homes across the 20-year plan period as follows: 

• 2026 to 2029: 3 years at 269 dpa = 801 dwellings 
• 2029 to 2034: 5 years at 323 dpa = 1615 dwellings 
• 2034 to 2046: 12 years at 259 dpa = 3108 dwellings (residual of 5380 taking account of years 2026 - 2034 (2958), then uplifted by 5% (148) and then annualised)

5.22There are potentially 2626 new homes coming from existing commitments (as set out in para 5.20 above), leaving around 2902 (5528 – 2626) to be provided on new allocations that we identify in this local plan.

5.23 In recent years, developers have been building at a rate of about 30 new homes a year on a single medium sized site, so broadly, every year, there would need to be at least nine active sites of this kind across the county, possibly including more than one outlet at a single location, as well as a supply of smaller sites coming forward for development.

5.24 When we have carried out all the work outlined in paragraphs 5.18 and 5.19, we will be able to set out and consult on our proposed housing requirement. We expect this to be part of the next new local plan consultation, in April 2027.

5.25 The new draft national planning policy also places greater emphasis on making the most efficient use of land. We will therefore review what the highest appropriate density for new housing development could be for areas of Rutland, taking into account the need to ensure our plan helps create attractive and healthy places to live, whilst seeking to use land efficiently. If this density is higher than the recent average site densities, then this could reduce the total amount of new land needed for new housing.

New Economic Development

5.26 We need to plan for new economic development to provide enough jobs for existing residents and the occupiers of the new housing, and potentially to support national, local and sub-regional ambitions for economic growth. We also need to continue to support existing businesses that wish to grow. Sufficient appropriate local jobs will help to ensure residents can enjoy a good quality of life and will help to reduce the need for people to commute out of the area for employment

5.27 Work now underway on a new economic strategy and a new employment needs assessment will provide us with the latest information about new and emerging sectors that could contribute to the local economy alongside the existing mainstays, such as education, defence, administration, the agricultural sector and tourism.

5.28 The emerging 2021 – 2041 local plan includes a policy and allocations (Policies E1 to E1.5) that will provide 26.4 hectares of employment land across the county. The work we have commissioned will help us understand how much more land will be needed for employment development, and the parts of the county where this could be most appropriately located.

New Infrastructure

5.29 Planning new development for up to 20 years ahead for the whole county gives us the best chance of ensuring that all the necessary associated physical, community and environmental infrastructure is also provided. We can also make sure that the cumulative effects of different developments are addressed by developers and in the plans of infrastructure providers such as the utility companies and National Highways.

5.30 New infrastructure can be linked to and partly or fully funded by new development, through on-site works and the Community Infrastructure Levy. However, developers generally only need to cover the infrastructure requirements for the needs arising from their developments, and do not generally address existing shortcomings; these need public funding or utility provider investment.

5.31 We also need to plan for foreseeable environmental and other changes, such as the increased flood risk and extreme heat events associated with climate change, as well as the changing energy infrastructure requirements associated with technological advances in travel options, e.g. electric vehicles, bikes and scooters. We will be working with utility providers to make sure that the water and energy needs of the new development we include in the plan can be met when we need it to be. This will be done by preparing a new Infrastructure Delivery Plan. Travel and transport matters are also being addressed through an ongoing refresh of the 4^th Rutland Local Transport Plan.

Affordable housing and meeting accommodation needs

5.32 Rutland continues to experience acute housing affordability issues. At the lower end of house prices and incomes (lowest quartile), house prices are 7.75 times higher than incomes, compared to a ratio of 6.69 for the East Midlands as a whole (ONS, 2026). There is also a mismatch between the size and type of housing and the overall housing stock in the county; more smaller properties with fewer bedrooms are needed, and more accommodation is needed that is suitable for older people and people with specific needs.

5.33 Currently, there are problems with delivering new affordable housing. This arises from the limited amount of money that housing associations or registered providers have (and choose) to invest in new homes on Section 106 (planning gain) sites. This is being addressed nationally but is having a local impact. There are prospects for improvements though, as plans for local government are likely to mean the county becomes part of an authority that can add to its own affordable housing stock (known as a stock holding authority), rather than just relying on housing associations to do so. For sites that are not planning gain sites (e.g. ‘land-led’) more national funding is now available for affordable housing.

5.34 We are commissioning work to help us understand the up-to-date position on housing needs and how they are likely to change over the plan period – a housing needs assessment. We will then decide if we need to plan for even more housing, for example if we want to make a bigger impact on reducing affordable housing needs, and to look at the potential general housing sites to see if any will be better for meeting identified needs, e.g. sites well located to shops services and public transport may be most suitable for older people’s housing, or for people with disabilities.

5.35 We are also aware that the size and type of new homes being delivered in the county, particularly on the edge of villages, has not matched the needs that have been identified in the housing needs assessments that were carried out for the emerging 2021-2041 plan and earlier iterations. We will consider how to develop a policy that helps to bring forward more well designed smaller sized dwellings on these plots.

5.36 We also need to plan to meet the needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. We are drawing attention to this issue at this early stage, because it can often take a long time to identify suitable sites to meet the needs that arise.

5.37 We have already started work to understand the latest position on these groups’ needs and how they are likely to change over the plan period, through a Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Assessment (GTTSAA). Also, through our recent Call for Sites (June/July 2026) we invited submissions of potential sites to meet these needs.

5.38 We are still inviting submissions for potential new Gypsy and Traveller sites, so that we have the best chance of identifying the most suitable site(s) to meet any needs identified, including any need for rented pitches on affordable sites.

Town Centres

5.39 The draft NPPF requires us to have town centre strategies in place to inform any new local plan policies, but we think the Rutland Retail, Leisure and Town Centres Study updated 2023 and the 2016 studies which developed town centre strategies for Oakham and Uppingham are still relevant. The 2023 study concluded that the town centre strategies remain fit for purpose but should be updated to reflect changes in planning policy, legislation and more recent evidence and complement existing documents, such as the 2025 Town Centre Action Plan for Oakham and sections of the existing economic strategy for Rutland. We also think our evidence regarding gaps in the types of retailing (e.g. food shops, bulky goods) in our towns is still up to date (see documents EV7.5a and EV7.5b on our website).

5.40 We also need to consider what the most appropriate uses are for any large vacant sites or buildings, and if it is still useful to define primary shopping areas (PSAs) in our new local plan. We have used PSAs in previous plans to safeguard the cores of our town centres for retail uses. However, we are already seeing a wider range of uses, such as food and drink, tourism, entertainment and housing as part of the mix of uses in town centres. These are helping to sustain them as vital and viable centres and may have a place anywhere in the town centre.

Climate Change and Biodiversity

5.41 There is still much to do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change. It is also increasingly urgent that we make sure that we can live safely and comfortably when facing extreme weather events, and that the infrastructure we rely on is not compromised.

5.42 The new plan will need to reflect recent changes to national planning policy that is more permissive about land based renewable energy generation (e.g. wind and solar power), and the shift in national transport policy that now gives even more emphasis to sustainable transport modes.

5.43 There is more up-to-date flood risk information from the Environment Agency to consider when we assess new land for development sites. We will also need to take account of a new Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Local Nature Recovery Strategy and Habitat Map for the area and emerging best practice on delivering biodiversity net gain alongside new developments. We need to do more to support nature recovery.

5.44 There may be less content overall about climate change and biodiversity issues in the new local plan, because some of the things we included in the emerging local plan are expected to be covered by national policy or other regulatory regimes, e.g. building control covers things like roof top solar, electric vehicle charging, and water and energy efficiency and use minimisation.

Minerals and Waste

5.45 When the emerging Rutland Local Plan 2021 – 2041 is adopted (anticipated to be autumn 2026), there will be up to date minerals and waste planning policies and proposals for the next 15 years. These can remain as part of the development plan for decision-making purposes until they are replaced by a new plan that includes minerals and waste policies.

5.46 It is not proposed to incorporate minerals and waste within our new Rutland Local Plan 2026 to 2046, because there is no urgency to do so. There have not been changes to the national minerals and waste policy framework in the same way as there has been for all other planning matters through the December 2025 draft NPPF. Also, and provided proposed Main Modifications (MM81) are accepted and included in the plan at adoption, the Rutland Local Plan 2021 – 2041 will be providing a surplus of crushed rock and additional flexibility in its supply which could sustain supply beyond the plan period.

5.47 We are however, investigating other options for preparing new minerals and waste policies, including discussing with Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council whether a separate Minerals and Waste Local Plan for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland area can be prepared. A final decision on a proposed approach will be subject to formal approval. Otherwise, new minerals and waste local plan policies are likely to be developed by the new unitary authority after it comes into being on 1^st April 2028.

Other issues

5.48 In this section (Section 5), we have picked out some of the main issues that the new local plan will have to address – they have been selected because we think they are the biggest challenges and or will take the longest time to resolve. That is not to belittle the importance of the range of other issues that the new local plan will address; for these, we either think we can rely largely on the information we gathered for the emerging local plan or we think the work is straightforward and less onerous.

5.49 We will be using the work that is summarised in Appendix 4 (emerging plan and NPPF compliance) as our starting point for devising a policy list for the new local plan. We will do more work on this when the finalised new NPPF is published and when we have looked at your feedback from this consultation. We intend to consult on a draft policy list at the next local plan consultation in April 2027.