Digital innovation has a role to play in modernising the current slow and complex process of creating a Local Plan. Whether analysing or presenting data, digital tools and processes will have a key role in future plan-making.
As part of the MHCLG Digital Planning Programme, Government is looking to create "simpler, faster, more accessible plan making". The goal is to help every LPA create and adopt a local plan as quickly as possible, supporting the forthcoming policy expectation for plans to be prepared and adopted in 30 months, significantly reducing the time and costs currently involved.
The new system puts a strong emphasis on digital, map-based local plans. We expect plans need to be built in a standardised format with interactive maps and documents. The goal is for users to find relevant content easily, without navigating long PDFs. Digital templates and data standards will be issued to support this.