Central Lincolnshire Local Plan

The Central Lincolnshire Local Plan has been adopted and will be used in making decisions on planning applications across the City of Lincoln, North Kesteven and West Lindsey areas.

This new Local Plan is pioneering in placing climate change at its core, and will help ensure Central Lincolnshire is a net zero carbon area.  This trailblazing approach will also lead the way for other areas to follow in tackling climate change.

The new Local Plan introduces a number of new policies to guide development in Central Lincolnshire, including:

• Climate change – an ambitious and ground breaking set of policies aimed at making Central Lincolnshire net zero carbon, including in making sure new homes are efficient, attracting renewable energy generation, and ensuring new homes are adaptable to climate change.
• Housing – new housing sites, capable of meeting our needs to 2040 and policies to ensure that the housing is in the right location and will be well designed.
• Jobs – protection of existing employment sites and land available for more employment development in locations where housing is or will be built.
• Shopping and city/town centres – policies to enhance our city and town centres and ensure they remain a destination, and to protect local centres which provide essential services across the area.
• Tourism – policies to support the tourism industry in Central Lincolnshire and to ensure that any tourism development is in the right location.
• Environment – a suite of policies seeking to protect our environment including delivering biodiversity net gain, protecting our valued landscapes, protection of high quality agricultural land, and protecting trees and hedgerows.
• Infrastructure – policies to help ensure that the infrastructure needed to support new development is delivered in the right places.
• RAF Scampton – a policy which will allow the future redevelopment of this site be properly planned to deliver great benefits to Central Lincolnshire.

The new Local Plan was adopted by the Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee at its meeting on 13 April 2023 and will be used in making decisions on planning applications immediately. The Central Lincolnshire committee is made up of a partnership of City of Lincoln, North Kesteven District, West Lindsey District and Lincolnshire County Councils.  It represents a joint vision for how Central Lincolnshire should evolve between now and 2040.

This is the second Local Plan for Central Lincolnshire, replacing the 2017 version which was revised to ensure it aligns with emerging pressures and priorities– such as those relating to climate change – and will ensure that the sustainable development occurs in our area.

Ian Fytche, Chief Executive of North Kesteven District Council, said, “Through the adoption of this revised local plan for the wider Central Lincolnshire area, we are taking a significant step forward in our aspirations to achieve a net zero carbon position.

“It represents significant vision and action in respect of ensuring homes are built sustainably resilient to climate change and to minimise carbon used in construction and their use. It will also ensure that biodiversity is protected and enhanced, energy sources future-proofed and the sustainability of resources championed.

“In these and so many other areas, the plan is a trailblazer for planning policy in England, aligned with our commitment to tackle the climate emergency and helping to achieve a safe and sustainable future for our communities.”

Angela Andrews, Chief Executive of City of Lincoln Council, said “I am very pleased that we now have a strategy in place, which is supported by the Government’s Inspector, that gives our councils greater control over where new developments will go in Central Lincolnshire.

“Our Local Plan is a key component of the planning system and will shape how Lincoln and the surrounding area will positively change and develop in the coming years.

“This document helps support the continued growth of Central Lincolnshire and the city of Lincoln. The Local Plan places Lincoln at the heart of Central Lincolnshire, as its major urban hub, and provides significant support to our strategy of attracting investment into the city. along with ongoing regeneration which encourages retail growth and increases employment opportunities.

“I would like to thank the many hundreds of people who have taken part in consultations and helped shaped our Local Plan, which is an essential document for the successful future of Central Lincolnshire.”

Ian Knowles, Chief Executive of West Lindsey District Council, said “This new Local Plan provides a positive vision for development across Central Lincolnshire up to 2040, which will deliver a sustainable future for the area including providing housing to meet local need, sustainable economic development whilst also protecting our environment and the special characteristics of Central Lincolnshire, requiring biodiversity net gain ahead of national policy and establishing local standards for energy efficiency for all new build.

“The plan also includes a specific policy for the future redevelopment of RAF Scampton.  This is an important step in ensuring the sustainability of the site, through a comprehensive policy framework and master plan which seeks to preserve, protect and enhance the site to secure maximum, long-term community and economic benefit from the site’s special features including its illustrious aviation heritage.”

Andy Gutherson, Executive Director of Place at Lincolnshire County Council, said “The Local Plan will be delivering homes and employment to meet our needs over the next 20 years, but it will also be accompanied by the infrastructure needed to support this development.

Policies in the plan will help ensure that the schools, medical facilities, community facilities and transport infrastructure will be delivered to ensure that population growth is properly provided for. The County Council, as well as other infrastructure providers, will continue to deliver infrastructure that meets the needs of the growing population in the right locations and at the right times – and the certainty from this new Local Plan will enable this.”

The Central Lincolnshire Local Plan can be viewed at www.central-lincs.org.uk.