MALDON District Council is preparing to begin work on a new Local Plan that will guide place-shaping in the district in the years ahead.

Maldon District Council is the first local authority in Essex to be producing a Local Plan under the new 30-month plan-making system which will set out a long-term vision for Maldon District, including where homes, jobs and infrastructure should be located, how high-quality design will be supported and how the district's distinctive natural and historic environment will be protected and enhanced.

At its meeting on 10 September, the Council agreed proposals to commence preparation of the Local Plan including a detailed project framework, timetable, governance arrangements, and resources to support delivery.

Significant groundwork has already been completed. Consultants Arup reviewed the work undertaken to date since the Local Development Plan review began in 2021 and advised how existing evidence and consultation findings can be updated and carried forward. Their work included engagement with councillors, senior officers, and internal and external stakeholders, and informed a Project Initiation Document, resourcing plan, budget, and risk register.

This preparatory work provides a clear route to producing a robust, locally responsive Local Plan while making best use of evidence already gathered. Notwithstanding the outcome of Local Government Reorganisation, progressing a new Local Plan remains important to ensure that place-shaping, growth, and the infrastructure needed to support it, can be planned for in a sustainable and coordinated way. It will also play an important role in supporting the wider devolution agenda and ensuring local priorities are reflected in the development of the Greater Essex Spatial Development Strategy.

Councillor Simon Morgan, Leader of Maldon District Council, said: "A new Local Plan is essential to make sure future development is plan-led, supported by the right infrastructure, and shaped around the needs and character of Maldon District and not dictated to us by speculative developers. The detailed preparation completed so far gives us a strong foundation and a clear, realistic route forward.

"Local people, businesses, parish and town councils and other partners will have important opportunities to help shape the plan. We are committed to making engagement clear, accessible, and meaningful, and to explaining how feedback has informed the process."

The Local Plan timetable and formal notice of the intention to commence preparation will be published on 25 September 2026.

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Following preparatory work and evidence gathering, an initial four-week scoping consultation is planned from 25 November to 22 December 2026. It will invite views on what the Local Plan should contain and how people would like to be involved as work progresses. Further consultations will follow as the vision, strategy, evidence, and policies are developed.

The latest timetable, consultation details and supporting documents will be published on the Council's website https://www.maldon.gov.uk/newlocalplan.