Broads Local Plan Consultation
Please note the consultation is now closed and the below information is here solely for posterity.
The Broads Authority is pleased to announce that the final round of consultation on the updated Local Plan for the Broads is now open, marking the final opportunity for residents, stakeholders and interested parties to share their views before the plan is formally submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination.
Known as the Publication (Regulation 19) version, this stage of consultation runs until 4pm on Friday 26 September 2025.
The Local Plan is a key document that sets out the planning framework for the Broads area. It guides decisions on future development proposals and addresses the needs and opportunities for housing, employment, infrastructure, and environmental protection. The Plan also outlines where development should take place and where it should be restricted, in line with the government’s National Planning Policy Framework and the principles of sustainable development.
To participate in the consultation, members of the public can complete a formal representation form, available on the Broads Authority website. Guidance is provided to help users complete the form correctly. In addition to the Local Plan document itself, other key materials are available for review, including the Sustainability Appraisal, the Habitats Regulation Assessment and an interactive policies map.
Natalie Beal, Planning Policy Officer and author of the Local Plan, is urging people to take part:
“The Broads is a wonderful place to live, work and visit. We need to look after it and enable those who are here to carry out changes to their properties or undertake development to meet their needs in an appropriate way. The Local Plan tries to balance protecting the Broads with allowing this appropriate change.
The policies in the Plan cover many different aspects of everyday life, from water use and disposal, shops and community facilities to protecting and enhancing the wildlife habitats and landscape. It will guide future development and change in the Broads, so please do have a read and let us know your thoughts.”
For those who prefer to view hard copies, printed versions of the Publication Local Plan will be available in several local libraries and council offices. These include libraries in Acle, Beccles, Brundall, Bungay, Cromer, Great Yarmouth, Loddon, Lowestoft, Oulton Broad, Norwich Millennium, Stalham, and Wroxham. Council offices in Broadland and South Norfolk, North Norfolk, and Norfolk County will also have copies, as will Yare House, the headquarters of the Broads Authority. Visitors are advised to check opening hours with the venues directly.
To support the consultation, the Broads Authority is also hosting three drop-in events where the public can speak directly with planning staff, ask questions, and learn more about the Local Plan. These events will be held on Saturday 6 September from 1pm to 4pm at Acle Recreation Centre, Monday 8 September from 5pm to 8:30pm at Blyburgate Hall in Beccles, and Tuesday 9 September from 5pm to 8:30pm at New Victory Hall in Neatishead.
All comments received during this consultation will be carefully reviewed and considered by the Broads Authority before the plan is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. This is a vital opportunity for local people and organisations to help shape the future of the Broads - one of the UK’s most treasured landscapes.
For more information, access to documents, or to submit your representation, please visit https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/about-us/how-we-work/transparency/consultations before the consultation end date on Friday 26 September 2025.
Wednesday 13 August 2025