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Planning in Cambridgeshire – updated August 2026
Cambridgeshire is covered by several separate planning authorities, each with its own adopted and emerging Local Plan. This update summarises the current position across Peterborough, Cambridge, South Cambridgeshire, East Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire and Fenland, including forthcoming consultations and changes arising from local government reorganisation.
All seven councils were invited to submit Local Government Reorganisation proposals in February 2025, with final submissions made in November 2025. The Government’s statutory consultation ran from 5 February to 26 March 2026 and has now closed. Responses are currently under review, with a final decision expected in October 2026. Existing councils and planning authorities continue to perform their current functions unless and until new arrangements are implemented.
The current strategic planning position in Cambridgeshire is as follows:
Peterborough City Council
The Peterborough Local Plan was adopted on 24 July 2019.
This is a statutory Local Plan which sets out the overall approach to development in Peterborough to 2036 and beyond.
The Council is preparing a new Local Plan to replace the adopted 2019 plan, setting out how the city and surrounding villages will grow and develop to 2044. Consultation on alternative site options took place between 23 January and 5 March 2026. The Council has since published a Key Issues Report summarising the main matters raised and is considering the representations as it prepares the next version of the plan.
The Proposed Submission (Regulation 19) Local Plan is scheduled to be considered by Cabinet in August for consultation later this year, followed by submission to the Government for independent examination. Adoption is currently anticipated in September 2027. Updates can be viewed on the Council’s website.
Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire
The Cambridge Local Plan 2018 and The South Cambridgeshire Local Plan were adopted in October and September 2018 respectively and remain part of the statutory development plan.
The councils are preparing a joint Greater Cambridge Local Plan. Following consultation on the Regulation 18 draft in December 2025 and January, the Proposed Submission, (Regulation 19), version consultation is now live, running until 25 September 2026.
Until the new plan is adopted, the existing 2018 Local Plans remain the principal Local Plan documents for determining applications, although emerging policies may acquire increasing weight as preparation progresses.
East Cambridgeshire
The East Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2015 (as amended in 2023) sets out the vision, objectives spatial strategy and policies for the future development of the district. It also identifies land and allocates sites for different types of development, such as housing and employment, to deliver the planned growth for the district to 2031.
In February 2025, the council rescinded its earlier decision to commence a full new Local Plan. The adopted 2015 Local Plan, as amended in 2023, therefore remains the principal Local Plan for the district.
Huntingdonshire
In May 2019, Huntingdonshire’s Local Plan to 2036 was adopted together with the Adopted Policies map . This remains the statutory development plan for the district.
The Council is preparing a new Local Plan to 2046. Consultation on the Preferred Options Draft Local Plan closed on 17 December 2025. A further consultation on additional proposed site allocations and the potential inclusion of a reserve site was undertaken during May and June 2026. That consultation has now closed, and the Council is reviewing the representations received
As of August 2026, the Regulation 19 document has not yet been published. It is expected to go through the Council’s decision-making process in early September. Subject to approval, a six-week consultation is expected to run from mid-September until the end of October, ahead of submission to the Planning Inspectorate by 31 December 2026.
Fenland
The Fenland Local Development Plan, adopted in May 2014, remains the statutory development plan for the district.
Fenland District Council is preparing a replacement Local Plan, known as Fenland 50, which will guide development to 2050. The plan is being prepared under the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 following the publication of the Notice of Commencement.
Early engagement has included a scoping consultation and a Call for Sites and Local Green Space nominations. The Council has also published a Local Plan timetable setting out the next stages of preparation, including evidence gathering, preparation of the draft plan, statutory consultation and submission for independent examination. Although Fenland 50 is at an early stage, landowners, developers and applicants should monitor its progress, as future consultations will identify potential site allocations and planning policies that may influence development opportunities across the district.
For further advice or to find out how your property fits into this framework for planning in Cambridgeshire please contact us.
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