Shropshire Council has opened a consultation to help shape its next Local Plan, the county’s key planning document, with the process starting on 20 May 2026 and running until 15 July.

The council’s Cabinet approved the Notice of Intention to Commence Plan Making on 6 May, setting the work in motion for a plan that will look ahead to 2046 and also fold in the Minerals and Waste Plan. This first stage is designed to gather views on the vision and priorities for the new plan, the main issues and opportunities facing Shropshire, how future growth should be planned sustainably, how the council should work with communities and stakeholders, and what evidence should guide later decisions.

David Walker said the consultation marks the first step in creating a new Local Plan that reflects the needs and ambitions of Shropshire’s communities. He said the plan should support sustainable growth, protect the environment and make sure the right development happens in the right places, adding that residents, businesses, partners and anyone interested in the county’s future can help shape how Shropshire develops up to 2046.

Local Plan preparation matters because it sets the long-term framework for where new homes, jobs, infrastructure and other development should go, while also protecting and enhancing natural, historic and community assets. This consultation does not identify development sites or preferred options, and it is deliberately an early stage rather than a final blueprint.

A series of drop-in sessions is being held across the county as part of the engagement, and all feedback submitted will be reviewed and used to inform the next stages of the Local Plan. Further consultations are expected as the plan progresses, meaning the current exercise is the opening round in a longer process rather than the final say on how Shropshire grows.