Gateway 1 is the first of 3 mandatory gateways under the government's new plan-making system. It is a self-assessment of the council's readiness to begin plan-making and also helps to increase the transparency of the preparation of your plan for communities and stakeholders.
In line with government guidance on Gateway 1, we have published our self-assessment summary, including what we have done to get ready for plan-making. This was published on 30 October 2026 in accordance with Regulations 21 and 46 of the Local Planning Regulations 2026, and marks the formal start of the plan-making process.
For transparency and completeness, we've also published our project initiation document which gives further information on how we will prepare the new local plan.
Alongside the publication of the Gateway 1 self-assessment and project initiation document, the Baseline Evidence Report has also been published to our evidence and research page.