Shropshire Council opens 2046 Local Plan consultation until 15 July
shropshire council began a consultation on 20 May 2026 to help shape its next Local Plan, and the scoping stage runs until 15 July. The exercise is the first formal step in preparing a plan that will look ahead to 2046 and guide where growth is directed across the county.
David Walker, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for planning, said: “This is the first step in creating a new Local Plan that reflects the needs and ambitions of Shropshire’s communities.” He also said: “We want to hear from people right across the county to help shape a plan that supports sustainable growth, protects our environment and ensures the right development happens in the right places.”
6 May Cabinet decision
Shropshire Council’s Cabinet approved the Notice of Intention to Commence Plan Making at its meeting on 6 May, setting the process in motion before the consultation opened. The new plan will also incorporate the Minerals and Waste Plan, placing those policies inside the same long-term framework.
The consultation itself is an early stage of engagement. It does not propose development sites or set out preferred options, and it instead asks for views on the vision and priorities for the new plan, the key issues and opportunities facing Shropshire, and how future development should be planned sustainably.
Shropshire communities and evidence
Walker said: “By getting involved at this early stage, residents, businesses, partners and anyone with an interested in the future of Shropshire can play a real role in shaping the future of Shropshire up to 2046.” The council is also asking how it should engage with communities and stakeholders, and what types of evidence should inform future decisions.
Drop-in sessions are being held across the county during the consultation, giving people a way to feed into the process before the next stages of Local Plan preparation. Feedback received will be reviewed and used to inform those later stages, with further consultations to follow as the plan progresses.
Local Plan through 2046
The immediate choice for residents, businesses and other interested groups is whether to respond during the current consultation window. The longer-term result is a planning framework that will shape development decisions through 2046, before site-specific proposals and preferred options are brought forward.
