5. Stakeholders - who we will consult
5.1. The Local Plan Making Regulations (2026) set out specific consultation bodies in Regulation 2. These are the organisations that local planning authorities must consult where they may have an interest in the preparation of a local plan, minerals and waste plan, or supplementary plan. The specific consultation bodies include:
- Active Travel England
- Electronic communications operators
- Canal and River Trust
- Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
- Coal Authority
- Sport England
- The Environment Agency
- The Forestry Commission
- National Highways
- The Highway Authority
- Historic England
- Integrated transport authorities (where relevant)
- Local nature partnerships
- Natural England
- Homes England
- Integrated Care Board
- NHS England
- Marine Management Organisation (MMO) (where relevant)
- Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd
- The Office for Nuclear Regulation
- Office of Rail and Road
- Relevant electricity suppliers
- Relevant gas suppliers
- Relevant sewerage undertakers
- Relevant water undertakers
- Education authority
- Lead local flood authorities
5.2. In addition to the above specific consultation bodies, general consultation bodies are also set out under Regulation 2. These are identified as:
- voluntary bodies, some or all of whose activities benefit all or part of the planning authority’s area
- bodies which represent the interests of persons in the planning authority’s area who share a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, and
- bodies which represent the interests of persons carrying on business in the planning authority’s area.
5.3. The council is not required to consult every organisation in these groups. We will focus on those that are like to be interested or affected by the local plan.
5.4. The council maintains a consultation database which is compliant with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The database contains the contact details of individuals and organisations who have responded to a planning policy consultation in the past or have asked to be kept informed of the preparation of planning documents. The database also includes contact details for the specific consultation bodies.
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