Rutland County Council Opens Key Consultation Following Local Plan Examination Hearings

Rutland County Council Opens Key Consultation Following Local Plan Examination Hearings

Rutland County Council has announced a significant milestone in the development of its future planning strategy. Following the independent Planning Inspector’s hearings held in September, the Council has launched a focused consultation on four critical technical documents designed to ensure the "soundness" of the Rutland Local Plan.

The consultation officially opened on January 5, 2026, and provides residents, developers, and stakeholders a final opportunity to comment on specific site assessments and sustainability reports before the Inspector concludes her examination.

The Focus of the Consultation

This stage of the process is specifically designed to address "action points" (identified as document RCC48 in the Examination Library) that arose during the public hearings. The Council is inviting feedback on the following four documents:

1. Supplementary Sites Consultation Document (August 2025) [RCC24]

This report corrects an administrative error by providing full sustainability assessments and "RAG" (red, amber, green) ratings for three sites that were inadvertently omitted from previous evaluations.

• View Document: Supplementary Sites Consultation Document [RCC24]

2. Housing and Employment Site Assessment Report (January 2026) [RCC51 & RCC51a]

A comprehensive review of 73 potential sites. This includes reassessing sites that were previously discounted and evaluating locations where boundaries have changed since the original plan submission.

• Access Evidence: Local Plan Housing Evidence Base

3. Supplementary Minerals Site Allocation Document (January 2026) [RCC52]

Following hearing discussions regarding the need for a steady supply of both building stone and crushed rock, the Council has proposed an additional minerals site at Hooby Lane North, Stretton (STR03) to ensure the plan meets industrial requirements.

4. Sustainability Appraisal (SA) Report Addendum (December 2025) [RCC53]

This vital document tests the sustainability of different housing growth targets, comparing the current plan of 123 dwellings per year against higher growth scenarios of 160 and 210 dwellings. It also revisits the potential for new settlements at locations such as Woolfox and Oakham South.

How to Have Your Say

The Council has emphasised that this consultation is strictly limited to the content of these four documents. Comments on other aspects of the Local Plan will not be considered at this stage.

• Deadline: All responses must be received by 5:00 PM on Monday, February 16, 2026.

• Email: Submit representations to localplan@rutland.gov.uk.

• Post: Send written comments to: R. Ranson, Head of Planning, Rutland County Council, Catmose, Oakham, LE15 6HP.

• In-Person: Documents are available for public viewing at the Customer Service area in Catmose House, Oakham.

Next Steps

Once the consultation closes, all representations will be forwarded directly to the Planning Inspector. These comments will play a decisive role in the Inspector’s final report, which will determine whether the Rutland Local Plan can be formally adopted.

For further details and to view the full Overview and Guidance Note [RCC54], visit the Rutland Local Plan Examination Library.