Waverley Borough Council is inviting residents, businesses and community organisations to help shape the future of the borough as it continues work on a new Local Plan.
The council agreed an updated timetable for preparing the new plan under the new national system on 2 June 2026 and will launch a six-week Scoping Consultation on Monday 15 June 2026, giving local people an early opportunity to influence what the plan should contain and how the council should engage with communities throughout the process.
A Local Plan sets out a long-term vision for how an area will develop. It helps determine where new homes, jobs, community facilities and infrastructure should be located, while protecting and enhancing the borough’s environment and special character.
The consultation is the first step required under the new government planning regulations introduced earlier this year, which require all councils to prepare and adopt Local Plans within 30 months.
The council has already carried out visioning workshops and an Issues and Options consultation during 2025 on a new Local Plan. Feedback from that engagement has helped identify several key themes and priorities, which will help inform the questions being asked as part of the new consultation.
Councillor Liz Townsend, Waverley Borough Council’s Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economic Development, said:
"The new Local Plan will shape Waverley for decades to come, so it is vital that local people have a strong voice in the process from the very beginning.
"We are preparing the Plan against a backdrop of significant development pressures and ongoing concerns about infrastructure capacity, including our roads, healthcare services, water supply and wastewater network. Having an up-to-date Local Plan is essential to ensuring growth is properly planned and supported by the infrastructure communities need.
"I encourage everyone to take part in this consultation and help us create a Local Plan that protects what makes Waverley special while ensuring growth is sustainable, climate resilient and supported by the infrastructure our communities need."
The consultation will run until 27 July 2026. Responses will help inform the preparation of the new Local Plan and how the council will engage on it.
Once adopted, the new Local Plan will replace both parts of Waverley’s current Local Plan and provide a single planning framework for the borough. Work will continue as Local Government Reorganisation progresses, with responsibility transferring to the new West Surrey Council from April 2027. However, the area covered by the new Local Plan will be the administrative boundary of the borough.
Residents can take part in the consultation and find out more by visiting www.waverley.gov.uk/newlocalplan