Residents and businesses are being encouraged to 'have your say' in shaping the next stage of Westmorland and Furness' first Local Plan.
The Local Plan is one of the most important documents produced by Westmorland and Furness Council.
It sets the blueprint for how many new homes and workplaces the area needs to grow and the sites that will be allocated to these.
The council says it also will considers the prosperity and sustainability of communities, whilst also protecting its local and historic character, landscapes, biodiversity and environment - for now and for future generations.
The Local Plan will cover the next 20 years to 2045. It applies to the parts of Westmorland and Furness outside the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales national park areas.
It will allocate land for housing and other developments, such as new employment sites and seek to make our area better, for example, by reducing the environmental impact of new development, building affordable housing, protecting wildlife, reducing flood risk and helping improve infrastructure, including roads, cycleways, schools and facilities for recycling and waste management.
The council has already started talking to communities about what they want for themselves and future generations in the Local Plan. So far it has carried out early conversation engagement and call for sites exercises.
Six key themes emerged from the early conversation engagement - housing, health and communities, place, travel and infrastructure, economy and climate and nature.
The next stage of the process is a 'Scoping Consultation' which launches today, 1 July, 2026. It will build on those early conversations and ask more questions around the key theme areas.
Anyone who lives or works in Westmorland and Furness can find out more about the Local Plan and have their say in the consultation, which lasts for six weeks until 11 August 2026 by visiting: www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/localplan
Information and paper copies of the scoping consultation document will also be available in the receptions of Barrow Town Hall, Kendal Town Hall and Voreda House, Penrith, as well as in libraries across the planning authority area.
Council officers will be spreading the word about the consultation at a number of community events over the coming weeks to seek views, in addition to inviting feedback from town and parish councils and other stakeholders. The council is also looking to hold 'focus group' sessions with under-represented groups, such as young people and community groups to ensure a strong cross-section of opinions is reflected in the consultation.
Councillor Vicky Hughes, Westmorland and Furness Council's Cabinet member for Planning and Active Wellbeing, said: "We are still in the early stages of preparing our first Local Plan, so it's a great time to get involved and a chance for everyone to contribute and shape the best future for Westmorland and Furness.
"Making a Local Plan is one of the most important things the council does. It sets out the future we want for ourselves and for future generations. It's a chance for us to solve problems of housing, jobs, transport and infrastructure in the context of environmental and climate change challenges.
"The Government has published its new mandatory housing targets for all councils in England, to contribute to the delivery of 1.5 million more homes nationally. The Government has said councils must boost housebuilding, helping more people buy their own homes and helping economic growth.
"The new target for the area of Westmorland and Furness that will be covered by this new Local Plan is a significant increase on previous targets. The Local Plan we are now developing will need to identify sites and locations for approximately 26,000 new homes to meet that new Government target by 2045.
"That's an increase of more than 75% on the previous combined housebuilding targets under the former Barrow, Eden and South Lakeland councils' Local Plans.
"We recognise that people will want to know where these homes will be built and how the area will need to change to accommodate that housing growth.
"That's why it is important people have the opportunity to shape and influence this Local Plan and I would urge people to get involved, so that, together, we can come up with a plan that meets our targets, supports growth and works for our communities.''
Anyone who would like to stay in touch with the Local Plan process and would like to be notified about upcoming phases of community engagement and consultation, can sign up to the council's Local Plan mailing list to receive email notifications: Planning policy consultation register
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