Ribble Valley Borough Council is currently progressing work on a new Local Plan for the borough, which will set out the long-term framework for managing development in the area up to the year 2042. This new Local Plan will play a key role in shaping future growth by identifying how many new homes are required across the borough and determining where this development should be located.
This provides an opportunity for landowners to have their sites earmarked for housing development, even if they might not currently be considered suitable.
The Local Plan will cover a number of settlements within the borough, including Clitheroe, Longridge, Whalley, Langho, Chatburn and Wilpshire, alongside surrounding areas. Once adopted, it will guide planning decisions and development in the borough over the plan period.
The council has published a timetable setting out the anticipated key milestones in the production of the new Local Plan. These include:
• Early-stage public consultation on the initial Draft Local Plan, expected to take place in Spring 2026.
• Consultation on the final version of the plan, know as the Pre-submission draft (Regulation 19), scheduled for Autumn 2026.
• Submission of the Plan for independent examination by the Planning Inspectorate - the final stage before the Plan can come into effect - anticipated in Winter 2026/27.
As part of the preparation of the new Plan, the council has recently completed a “Call for Sites”. This process invited landowners, developers and planning agents to submit details of land they believe may have potential for future development. The council will now assess the suitability of all submitted sites, considering factors such as location, constraints and sustainability, before identifying which sites may ultimately be allocated for development within the Local Plan.
While the deadline for providing details of sites for this round of assessment was 24th November 2025, the Council may still consider new sites submitted to them now.
Once you submit your site, it will join other sites proposed for development to form a ‘pool’ of sites for detailed assessment. Submitting your site does not guarantee it will be allocated for housing. However, when the council comes to identify land for development, it will return to the submitted sites and prioritise those that performed strongly in its assessment.
A good first impression is therefore crucial. Evidence of careful consideration of the potential impacts of your site on areas such as highways, landscape and ecology are essential – you want your site to stand out to the council as having a strong likelihood of being delivered successfully. It can be ten years or more before a new Local Plan is prepared, so it is important to maximise your chances of success when they opportunity arises.
When we are promoting a site, we would provide a Development Statement underpinned by various technical assessments on matters such as flooding, drainage, transport and heritage to show that the land really is deliverable.
You can learn more about the Call for Sites process here.
We have a fantastic track record in Ribble Valley, having delivered consents on three different sites in the past. If you have a site that you believe may be suitable for new development, but don’t know where to start with getting planning permission, this is where we can help.
At The Strategic Land Group, we prepare submissions of sites to the council for all our landowner partners, drawing on more than 15 years’ experience in promoting land for residential development. We manage the entire site promotion process – responding to all formal consultation stages, meeting with the council as needed, and representing our clients at the public inquiry at the end of the plan-making process. We’ll even find a developer to purchase the land once planning permission is granted.
All of this is done at our own cost and risk. Our fee is a share of the value of the land once it is sold, so if we don’t succeed you don’t owe us anything. That approach also ensures our interests are aligned with yours – to secure the best possible planning permission in the shortest possible time.
You can find out more about what it’s like to work with us here, or get in touch today for a free, no obligation consultation about how we might be able to help you.
