Residents across Lichfield District are being asked to share what matters to them and what they think should be considered as the council develops its new Local Plan, with the first consultation now open.
We are asking residents, businesses and organisations to get involved at this early stage and have their say on the priorities and issues that should help shape the new plan.
The Local Plan will guide how Lichfield District grows and develops over the coming years. It will help decide where future development should take place and set out policies to guide planning decisions, bringing together plans for homes and jobs with infrastructure, transport, the environment, high streets and local communities.
Having an up-to-date Local Plan allows the council to take a planned approach to development across the district and consider what communities will need as the area grows.
This is the first stage of preparing the new plan and no decisions have been made about where future development will go. Instead, residents, businesses and organisations are being asked what they think the Local Plan should consider, what its priorities should be and how they would like to be involved as it develops.
There are also national requirements that councils need to plan for. The Government uses a national method to calculate housing need, which currently means Lichfield District needs to plan for 769 homes a year.
The Local Plan is how the council plans for that growth locally, including where development could take place and what will be needed alongside it. This includes working with organisations such as Staffordshire County Council, the NHS and transport and utility providers to consider future infrastructure needs.
Councillor Alex Farrell, Cabinet Member for Housing and the Local Plan, said:
“Lichfield District is a great place to live, work and visit, and we want to plan carefully for how it grows and develops. The Local Plan helps us look at the bigger picture – not just where development could happen, but how we plan for jobs, infrastructure, transport, our environment and the needs of our communities alongside it.
“There are national requirements we have to plan for, but there are important decisions to make locally too. This first consultation is our opportunity to listen to residents before we start developing the options – to understand what matters to you, what you think our priorities should be and what we need to consider as the district grows”
The consultation covers issues including homes and communities, infrastructure, jobs and the economy, high streets, transport, climate change and the natural environment.
It will run for four weeks, closing at 5pm on 5 October 2026. Residents can read more about the Local Plan and take part in the consultation at Developing our new local plan – Scoping Consultation
A separate Call for Sites also launches today and will remain open until the end of November, allowing landowners, agents, developers and residents to suggest land that could be considered as part of the Local Plan process