Bristol New Local Plan to 2045

We have provided additional information in a Scoping Document for those who would like to learn more beyond the summary included in the survey.

What the Local Plan is

The local plan guides how development across Bristol will be shaped. It sets out where new homes, jobs, infrastructure, and community facilities are located and provides clarity for residents, businesses, and developers. The plan contains policies that ensure development contributes to building strong, healthy communities, creating vibrant places, and responding to the climate crisis.

The Bristol Local Plan 2045 will form part of the Development Plan, alongside the West of England's Mayoral Combined Authority’s (MCA) Spatial Development Strategy and made Neighbourhood Plans. It will also contain an updated Minerals and Waste Plan for Bristol.

Why we are updating the Local Plan

In March 2026, the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 came into force which set out a new 30-month system to prepare shorter and clearer local plans. Bristol is required to prepare its next local plan under the new system. There is also a particular need to consider how Bristol can respond to its housing need. The housing requirement proposed through the emerging Local Plan 2022-2040 (to be adopted in Autumn 2026) meets less than 80% of local housing need as calculated through the national standard method. The government has confirmed that the Council must begin work on a new plan immediately, under the ‘new system’ of Local Plan making

The new plan will also operate differently to plans made in the past. Some areas previously covered by local plan policies will increasingly be addressed by the National Decision-Making Policies (NDMPs) set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which aim to avoid duplication between national and local policy. The new local plan must also be in general conformity with the Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) currently being prepared by the West of England Combined Mayoral Authority (MCA).

What we are consulting on

This is the first of three consultation stages for the Bristol Local Plan 2045. The purpose of this Scoping Consultation is to gather your thoughts on what should be included in the local plan, which will start to feed into our vision for planning ‘thriving places’ in Bristol. We are asking for your views on the following themes:

• A growing and inclusive economy
• Supporting health and wellbeing
• Homes for all: safe, healthy neighbourhoods
• Density, urban living and design
• Making it easier, greener and safer to travel into and around Bristol
• Accelerating climate actions and nature recovery
• Enabling thriving places: public infrastructure and services
• Minerals and Waste Plan

We also want to hear your thoughts on how you want us to engage with you throughout the plan-making process.
You can browse different sections, answering any or all the questions. You don’t need to finish the consultation in one sitting – but make sure you save your response and submit by the deadline.