Latest news
August 2025 - The Planning Policy Team is in the process of updating large parts of its Local Plan evidence base. Current and planned updates to the evidence base are as follows:
| Evidence base document | Status |
|---|---|
| Strategic partners for cross boundary cooperation document | Consultation recently took place on the Strategic Cross Boundary Scoping Statement. The responses received to this consultation are currently being reviewed, and the Statement will be amended, where necessary, to take into account these responses. The Statement will be published on the Council’s website in the autumn of this year. |
| The Runnymede Open Spaces Study update |
Completed. Published June 2025 Review the 20230 Local Plan Review Evidence Documents. |
| The Runnymede Playing Pitch Strategy | Underway. Final report expected Summer/Autumn2025 |
| The Green Belt Review parts 1 and 2 and Grey Belt Assessment |
Government funding secured for a joint Green Belt/Grey Belt Assessment with Spelthorne & Elmbridge Borough Councils. Assessment is hoped to commence Summer 2025 and will report back in two stages.
|
| 2025 Strategic Land Availability Assessment | Work commenced and ongoing. An interim version will be available Autumn/Winter 2025, to include an Urban Area Capacity Study. A second version will be produced taking account of Green Belt Review and Grey Belt Assessment outcomes (see timescales above). An updated 5 year housing land supply position will be published in Summer 2025. |
| Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment update | Ongoing. Final report expected Autumn 2025. |
| Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment (incorporating Employment Land Review) | Project commenced in February 2025. Draft reports for both the Economic and the Housing components of the report have been received and it is expected that the report will be finalised in late summer 2025 |
| Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment refresh | Amended report expected to be published online in late summer 2025. |
| Runnymede Design Code | On pause. Timetable to be brought into line with Local Plan update process. |
| Consultation/Engagement Strategy | Produced in draft form. Final report to be published in Autumn 2025 alongside the Local Plan Scoping consultation. |
| Runnymede Retail and Town Centres Study update |
Addendum completed. Published July 2025. Review the 20230 Local Plan Review Evidence Documents. |
| Update to the Council’s Stage 2 Sustainable Places work | Planned. Work will not commence until the Council has completed its site list for testing. This will not happen until the Grey Belt Review/Assessment is complete. Publication date TBC. |
| Boat Dwellers Assessment Planned. | Project has commenced. Publication date TBC. |
| Infrastructure baseline assessment refresh | Planned. Due to commence in Autumn 2025. |
| Sustainability Appraisal incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment | Underway. A SA scoping update report is being prepared and is due for publication in Autumn 2025. Further iterations of the SA including the appraisal of policy options and policy wording will take place as the Local Plan progresses. |
The Council’s adopted Local Development Scheme for the update of the Runnymede Local Plan can be viewed at: Local Development Scheme (LDS)
The Council has recently updated its housing land supply position following the publication of the 2024 National Planning Policy Framework. Based on a base date of 1 April 2024, the Council has concluded that it has a 3.92 year land supply. More information can be viewed at: 2030 Local Plan Review Evidence Base documents. This should be treated as an interim calculation and an updated land supply statement will be produced in summer 2025.
To ensure that you receive updates about the Local Plan Review and the development of other planning policy documents sign up to our consultation database.
Consultation database - Sign up
Review of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan
In line with Regulation 10A of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations (2012), on 23r October 2024, the Council completed its formal review of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan within 5 years of the Plan’s adoption date of 16 July 2020.
The committee report which sets out the process followed in reviewing the Local Plan and the conclusions drawn can be viewed within the committee agenda for the 23 October 2024 Planning Committee (agenda item 6) at the link below:
Evidence base documents
The Review of the Runnymede 2030 Local Plan will be underpinned by a range of evidence base documents. These key supporting documents will be made available on our evidenced base documents page once they are finalised.
This form helps us improve the content and structure of our webpages only, and we cannot provide a response to any submission below.
Get in touch about planning policy
The quickest way to contact us is by using our online forms which are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you need to speak to us give us a call during office hours and talk to our Customer Services team who will be happy to help.