About the Local Plan

We are currently developing a new Local Plan for South Tyneside.

This is an important document as it will set out how we will meet the area's future social, economic and environmental needs.

It will be used to assess development proposals. 

These pages explain more about what our emerging Local Plan is and provides answers to some of the key questions you may have.

1. Gather evidence

The Council conducts a range of detailed studies and considers everything a local plan needs, like how many new homes and jobs are needed along with what supporting infrastructure is required.

2. Consider options

The Council considers the ways our future development needs could be met and outlines a preferred option.

3. Consultation (Regulation 18)

A draft Local Plan is published for public consultation.

In South Tyneside, this consultation took place throughout the summer of 2022. Residents were invited to comment on the plan and drop-in sessions were held with Council officers.

Read more about this stage: Regulation 18

4. Review comments

Comments made during the Regulation 18 consultation were reviewed by the Council. A Publication draft Local Plan was then published.

5. Consultation (Regulation 19)

Consultation takes place on this new plan, inviting representations to be submitted on its 'soundness'.

We carried out the Publication draft Local Plan consultation, known as Regulation 19, in early 2024.

As part of this stage, we also consulted on a scoping report for a supplementary planning document covering the Fellgate Sustainable Growth Area. Comments received are helping to shape this document.

For more information, including details about the consultation and the documents we produced, see: Regulation 19

6. Examination in public

The Secretary of State appoints an independent planning inspector to examine the draft Local Plan in detail. Public hearing sessions are held.

This is the stage we are currently at.

To provide you with up to date progress on the Local Plan examination we have created dedicated examination web pages. These also contain a list of all the documents used in the development of the plan.

See: Local Plan examination in public

7. Adoption of the Local Plan

The examination in public by the government's planning inspector can take around 12 to 18 months to complete. They will produce a final report and this will recommend whether the Council should adopt the plan.

Once adopted, the Local Plan will be used to inform decisions on all planning applications.

A Local Plan:

• sets out the policies for the sustainable use of land and buildings
• lays the foundations for regeneration and economic growth
• guides decisions about individual developments and planning applications

The aims of the Local Plan are to:

• build a stronger local economy
• support the regeneration of the area
• meet the need for new homes
• tackle climate change
• deliver an environmentally sustainable borough
• promote positive healthy choices 

Local Plans are a legal requirement.

If we don't produce a Local Plan, we will have limited control over the development that is carried out in South Tyneside.

This may result in unsustainable, unplanned and piecemeal developments across the borough, which do not have the necessary infrastructure in place to support them.

South Tyneside's existing plan

The South Tyneside Local Development Framework (LDF) is the current Development Plan document for the borough.

However, the LDF is out of date, and does not reflect the government's National Planning Policy Framework.

A new Local Plan is needed to replace the LDF.

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

A revised NPPF was published in December 2024.

However, because we had already reached the Regulation 19 stage, the new NPPF allows us to progress the Local Plan under the previous version of the NPPF. These are known as transitional arrangements.

The Local Plan has therefore been prepared in line with the NPPF that was published in September 2023.

Assessments and evidence

A huge amount of work has been carried out to prepare for the Local Plan, with lots of evidence gathered.

This has included assessments of our growth needs, including:

• employment floorspace
• retail capacity
• future housing requirements

We have also carefully studied evidence on Strategic Flood Risk and utilities.

Read the evidence documents produced for the Local Plan

South Tyneside's future needs

South Tyneside needs to provide over 5253 new homes by 2040. 

We must also meet our need for land for employment opportunities. 

Any future growth will also need supporting infrastructure, such as:

• school places,
• access to services,
• green spaces, and
• road network capacity. 

Why a 15-year plan has been chosen

The Local Plan must cover a minimum of 15 years. 

The proposed period of 2023 to 2040 meets this requirement.

The plan period will allow the Council to plan effectively to meet the borough's long-term development needs.

The Local Plan is central to meeting the current and future needs of all members of our community:   

Homes

Policies within the Local Plan seek to deliver new homes across South Tyneside.

Jobs

We want to support new jobs and businesses, so South Tyneside is an attractive place to work and invest in.  

Young people

We want to make sure young people have access to affordable housing and skilled jobs within the borough.

Supporting an ageing population

We also want to make sure we meet the needs of an ageing population, through delivering:

• new easy access homes,
• sheltered / supported housing, and
• wheelchair accessible homes. 

Health and wellbeing

The Local Plan supports policies which seek to improve the health and wellbeing of its residents, by delivering high quality, accessible and safe environments.   

Community facilities

The Local Plan will also help in our aim to provide excellent community facilities, all of which will support thriving communities.

See more about how we are considering infrastructure needs as part of our work on the Local Plan.

The government has made it clear through their National Planning Policy Framework that they are committed to securing economic growth.

The planning system is central to delivering this growth. 

The Council recognises the benefits of growth, if this is supported by infrastructure, such as new roads, schools and health facilities.

The Local Plan must deliver our strategic priorities for housing, jobs, retail and leisure, through planned sustainable development, which also addresses the needs of the natural environment and our communities. 

Economic development

The Local Plan must meet our need for economic development, ensuring there is a continuous and flexible supply of employment land to meet the borough's needs over the Plan period.

The Local Plan will prioritise economic development in designated Employment Areas, including the Port of Tyne, that are accessible by a range of transport modes.

At least 309 new homes will be needed each year in South Tyneside. 

This number is based on:

• how the population is expected to grow
• how the number of households is expected to grow
• how jobs are expected to grow
• if there has previously been a lack of new housing
• if more homes are needed in certain areas, because average house prices are not affordable for people who are on an average wage

How housing targets are calculated

To determine the minimum number of homes that are needed we've carried out a local housing need assessment.

This is based on a standard calculation method which is set by government.

Using this calculation, the local housing needs assessment has concluded that 309 dwellings per year are required during the life of the plan.

Types of housing

We also need to make sure we have a mix of new housing built in South Tyneside.

This will be a challenge, but we need to make sure new development includes homes that are:

• accessible and adaptable to meet the needs of our ageing population and those with a disability
• affordable, particularly for young people and local families

The Local Plan sets out policies that aim to achieve this.

For example, we want to help young people and local families stay in the borough. Developers will now have to set aside homes in their plans that are both affordable and suitable.

Development of the Green Belt

Urban and previously used land (commonly known as brownfield land) will always be prioritised when looking at places for development.

Sometimes however this is not possible.

In South Tyneside there is not enough urban and brownfield land to meet the local housing and employment needs. 

Therefore, the Local Plan has had to allocate Green Belt land for development.

It is considered that exceptional circumstances exist to justify the release of land from the Green Belt.

The total area of green belt land in the borough is 2,344 hectares. Of this, the Local Plan proposes 117 hectares for development.

National policy requires the Local Plan to set out ways to offset the impact of removing land from the Green Belt.

Compensatory measures include improvements to the natural environment and access to the surrounding public rights of way network.

Detailed recommendations have been drawn up for the sites that have been identified for future development in the Green Belt.

The Local Plan also sets out how it proposes to protect the remaining Green Belt.

The efficient use of land

The Local Plan is committed to making the best and most efficient use of land by encouraging the redevelopment of previously developed land and buildings.

This includes supporting regeneration schemes in South Shields Town Centre and allocating brownfield sites for employment and residential development across the borough.

The Local Plan aims to achieve higher densities in the most sustainable locations that have good access to services and public transport.

It also makes an allowance for sites which might become available for development in the future.

Use of brownfield land

A brownfield site is an area that has been built on before and tends to be disused or derelict land.

The Council tries to prioritise using this type of land for new developments. For example, more than 1,700 homes are being planned for brownfield land in the Local Plan.

However, not all brownfield land in the borough is suitable or available for development, which means that Green Belt land needs to be allocated.

Some brownfield sites are in unsuitable locations for residential development. For example, the site could be in the middle of an industrial estate, or the site may be privately owned and the owner has made it clear that they do not intend to sell or develop the site.

The Council are required by government to be able to provide, with a high degree of certainty, enough housing for the first 5 years of the Local Plan.

Many brownfield sites would unfortunately not be available within this time frame. This may be because infrastructure needs to be put in place, or the land needs to be decontaminated.

A Site Selection Topic Paper has been produced which identifies different sites and describes their suitability for development.  

Protecting our natural environment

The protection and enhancement of the environment is one of the key objectives of the Local Plan.

If a proposed development could negatively impact the environment, extensive mitigation measures must be put in place.

We have a legal duty to protect our most valuable and sensitive environmental assets.

These will continue to be protected through existing protected areas, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Local Wildlife Sites.

Enhancing our natural environment

The Local Plan will also provide us with opportunities to further improve our natural environment and green space.

It also identifies a new Area of High Landscape Value along our coastline. This provides additional protection against inappropriate development in this area. 

Trees and hedges

Trees, woodland and hedgerows are an essential part of our environment.

They provide a habitat for wildlife, enhance our natural landscape, help to reduce flood risk, and offer space for residents and visitors to enjoy the natural world. They can also help with reducing the impact of climate change.

The Local Plan sets out to protect trees and hedgerows as much as possible from development. If they need to be removed, new planting should take place to reduce the impact on the environment.

South Tyneside Council declared a climate emergency on 18 July 2019.

As a Council we recognise the role we have, and are strongly committed, to the global effort to address climate change.  

We are therefore making sure all our strategic decisions and policies will bring about real change. 

We aim to:

• make the Council carbon neutral by 2030
• reduce area wide carbon emissions by 2045
• move to cleaner, greener, renewable sources of energy
• enhance our natural environment

The draft Local Plan takes climate change into consideration and includes a range of policies to help reach these targets. 

The Local Plan must balance the need to grow South Tyneside alongside the climate change agenda.

It must look to deliver sustainable development from the beginning.

Read more about this in the Climate Change Topic Paper.

Flooding

A Strategic Flood Risk Assessment identifies areas in South Tyneside where there is a risk of flooding.

There are no sites identified for development in the Local Plan that have a high flood risk.

To reduce the risk of flooding further, developers will also be asked to prioritise the use of sustainable drainage systems and make sure there is no increase in surface water run-off.                                            

The Council is committed to making sure South Tyneside's heritage assets will continue to be preserved and enhanced.

In preparing for the draft Local Plan, Heritage Impact Assessments have been carried out to look at any potential impact on the borough's much valued heritage assets.

These assessments have informed policies within the draft Local Plan. 

The Council is confident that the proposed level of growth can be accommodated without negatively impacting on the borough's heritage assets.

Infrastructure, such as roads and utilities, will need to be in place before any development starts.

The Infrastructure Delivery Plan assesses what current infrastructure there is in the borough, what is being planned with committed investment, and what will be needed in the future.

It is a living document that will be regularly updated to support the delivery of the Local Plan.

Schools

We must be able to provide enough school places for children who live in South Tyneside.

The area currently has a good supply of schools suitable for all ages, but it is important we can accommodate pupils in the future.

The Infrastructure Delivery Plan examines the potential impact of an increase in pupil numbers on different schools in the area.

Health facilities

Health services have also been considered as part of the development of the Local Plan.

We continue to work with health care providers to look at what extra health facilities may be needed.

Roads / transport

We have reviewed, in detail, the impact of traffic from sites allocated for development.

We have also considered the future demand for different types of transport.

It is likely that traffic on our roads, as with many parts of the country, will increase. 

Road improvements will be considered where necessary and possible, however there needs to be a focus on public transport and other means of travel.

The Local Plan supports opportunities for improving existing and new sustainable transport options, such as:

• allocating potential development sites as close to key public transport links as possible
• supporting improvements to the Metro network
• improving cycling and footpath networks

These measures will also help with our work around climate change.

Utilities

Northumbria Water have indicated that the water and sewerage network in the area would be able to manage the future development proposed in the Local Plan.

We continue to work closely with all our partners who are responsible for the area's infrastructure.

On 11 March 2025 we formally submitted the Publication Draft Local Plan (2023-2040) to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

An independent planning inspector will consider the Local Plan, its accompanying evidence, and any comments put forward by local people and other interested parties during public consultation.

The inspector will hold an Examination in Public where they will lead a discussion with the Council and invited participants on a number of issues. These sessions are held in public.

The inspector will then make the final decision on whether the Local Plan is sound.

If directed to do so, the Council will then be asked to to make the formal decision to adopt the Local Plan.

Once the Local Plan is adopted

Once adopted, a review of the Local Plan will take place every 5 years. A new plan will be produced if there are any major changes in circumstances and it is no longer up to date.

Consultation database

We will provide future updates on our website, but if you would like to be notified of the next steps you can also request to be added to our consultation database.

Please contact us by either:

Email: Local.plan@southtyneside.gov.uk

Telephone: 0191 424 7692

Post: Spatial Planning, Development Services, Regeneration and Environment, South Tyneside Council, Town Hall and Civic Offices, Westoe Road, South Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE33 2RL

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