The Local Plan Scoping consultation is now live. This launched on Monday 7 September 2026 and will close at 11.59 pm on Monday 12 October 2026. This scoping consultation provides an opportunity for local communities, businesses, stakeholders and other interested parties to help identify the key issues, opportunities and challenges that the new Local Plan should address to help shape the future content of the Local Plan.
The consultation seeks views on:
- the matters relevant to the preparation of the Local Plan, including what the Plan should contain;
- which organisations and bodies should be consulted, and how the Council should engage with stakeholders during the preparation of the Local Plan.
If you would like to find out more about this consultation and share your views, you can do so through the New Local Plan Scoping Consultation Portal If you should have any questions about the consultation please contact the Planning Policy team by emailing planningpolicy@runnymede.gov.uk alternatively you can speak to an officer by calling the Council’s switchboard on 01932 838383.
At the Planning Committee held on 22 July 2026, two items will be considered which relate to the update of the Runnymede Local Plan. These items are:
- Proposed approach to engagement during the preparation of the Local Plan, and engagement plan for Scoping Consultation.
- Runnymede New Local Plan - Scoping Consultation and Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report: Approval sought for public consultation
Latest news on the emerging Local Plan evidence base can be found in the table below:
8 September 2026
| Evidence base document | Status |
|---|---|
|
Annual Monitoring Report 2024/25 |
The Annual Monitoring Report for the year 2024/25 has now been published. |
|
Strategic partners for cross boundary cooperation document |
A Strategic Cross-Boundary Matters Scoping Statement has been finalised to take account of feedback from a targeted consultation. The Statement has now been agreed by the Planning Committee and published on the scoping consultation documents webpage. |
|
The Runnymede Open Spaces Study update |
Completed. Published June 2025 Review the 2030 Local Plan Review Evidence Documents. |
|
The Runnymede Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Facilities Strategy |
This has now been published and can be found on the Councils website. |
|
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 has commenced and will report back as follows: Stage 1 Green Belt Review - Will set out a methodology for the review and appraise larger areas of Green Belt against Green Belt purposes and cover all Green Belt across the three Boroughs. Methodology is currently being prepared. The publication date of this document will be published in due course. Stage 2 Green Belt Review - Will appraise smaller sub-areas of Green Belt against Green Belt purposes and identify potential Grey Belt. Stage 2 is expected to report late Autumn 2026. |
|
2025 Strategic Land Availability Assessment |
Completed and published, including the Urban Area Capacity Study. A second version will be produced taking account of Green Belt Review and Grey Belt Assessment outcomes in due course (see timescales above for the Green Belt review work). An updated 5 year housing land supply published in September 2025. The SLAA and 5 year supply statement can be viewed at: 2030 Local Plan Review - Evidence Base documents with the latter showing that the Council currently has 2.89 years of land supply as of April 2025. |
|
Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment update |
Ongoing. Final report expected to be published before the end of September 2026. |
|
Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment (incorporating Employment Land Review) |
This has now been published and can be found on the Councils website. |
|
Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment refresh |
Further work is currently being undertaken on the functional floodplain. This will delay the publication of the level 1 SFRA most likely until Autumn 2026. |
|
Runnymede Design Code |
An authority-wide Design Code will not be developed. The Council will reassess the design tools it needs once evidence underpinning the new Local Plan helps the Council understand the revised spatial strategy. |
|
Local Plan Engagement Strategy |
The Local Plan Engagement Strategy was approved by the Planning Committee on 22 July 2026 and can be viewed on Scoping consultation documents webpage. |
|
Runnymede Retail and Town Centres Study update |
Addendum completed. Published July 2025. Review the 2023 Local Plan Review Evidence Documents. |
|
Update to the Council’s Stage 2 Sustainable Places work |
This work is now unlikely to be progressed by the Council. Instead the Government’s connectivity tool will be used to assess the relative accessibility of different sites to different facilities and services. |
|
Infrastructure baseline assessment refresh |
As part of gathering baseline information to inform the new Local Plan, the Council intends to create a Runnymede digital place portrait which will include baseline information about the Borough’s infrastructure capacity. The Council has also commenced the refresh of its infrastructure baseline assessment as part of the Infrastructure Delivery Plan update. Once publication dates for both are clearer, further information will be published on this page. |
|
Sustainability Appraisal [SA] incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment |
Underway. A SA incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment scoping report has been prepared. This document was approved by the Planning Committee on 22 July 2026 and can be viewed Runnymede digital place portrait. Further iterations of the SA including the appraisal of policy options and policy wording will take place as the Local Plan progresses. |
| Settlement Hierarchy | Initial data to inform a settlement hierarchy has been collected and processed. This data will be analysed and used to produce a hierarchy of the borough’s settlements within the Borough. This piece of work should be published in the Autumn. |
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