Planning Data (England) Regulations 2026
Summary
The Secretary of State has made the Planning Data (England) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026 No. 420) under powers in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023. The Regulations designate local plan timetables, minerals and waste plan timetables, and housing requirement data as planning data subject to approved data standards. Local planning authorities and minerals and waste planning authorities must comply with applicable data standards when publishing plan timetables, and local planning authorities must publish housing requirement data on their websites at specified points during local plan preparation.
What changed
The Regulations introduce three categories of planning data under section 84 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023: local plan timetables, minerals and waste plan timetables, and housing requirement data. Schedule 3 specifically requires local planning authorities to publish housing requirement data (the minimum number of homes expected during the plan period) on their websites at specified points during local plan preparation. All planning authorities must comply with approved data standards applicable when publishing these documents.
Local planning authorities and minerals and waste planning authorities should prepare to implement data standard compliance for plan timetables by 7 May 2026. Local planning authorities additionally need to establish website publication workflows for housing requirement data at the prescribed stages of plan preparation. Planning software and data management systems may require updates to accommodate approved data standards.
Archived snapshot
Apr 16, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Status:
This is the original version (as it was originally made). This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format.
Statutory Instruments
2026 No. 420
TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING, ENGLAND
The Planning Data (England) Regulations 2026
Made
at 8.45 a.m. on 16th April 2026
Laid before Parliament
at 4.30 p.m. on 16th April 2026
Coming into force
7th May 2026
The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 84(1) and 86(1) of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023(1).
Citation, commencement, extent and application
- —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Planning Data (England) Regulations 2026 and come into force on 7th May 2026.
(2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales, but apply in England only.
Interpretation
- In these Regulations—
“ 2023 Act ” means the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.
Planning data
- Schedules 1 to 3 have effect.
Signed by the authority of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
at 8.45 a.m. on 16th April 2026
Schedules
Schedule 1 Local plan timetable
Interpretation
- In this Schedule—
“ local plan timetable ” must be construed in accordance with section 15B of the PCPA 2004(2);
“ local planning authority ” must be construed in accordance with section 15LF of the PCPA 2004(3).
Planning data
- A local plan timetable is planning data for the purposes of section 84 of the 2023 Act.
Duty to comply with any approved data standard
- A local planning authority must comply with any approved data standards(4) which are applicable when publishing a local plan timetable in accordance with section 15B(8) of the PCPA 2004(5).
Schedule 2 Minerals and waste plan timetable
Interpretation
- In this Schedule—
“ minerals and waste plan timetable ” must be construed in accordance with section 15BB of the PCPA 2004(6);
“ minerals and waste planning authority ” must be construed in accordance with section 15LG of the PCPA 2004(7).
Planning data
- A minerals and waste plan timetable is planning data for the purposes of section 84 of the 2023 Act.
Duty to comply with any approved data standard
- A minerals and waste planning authority must comply with any approved data standards(8) which are applicable when publishing a minerals and waste plan timetable in accordance with section 15B(8) of the PCPA 2004(9).
Schedule 3 Housing requirement data
Interpretation
- In this Schedule—
“ housing requirement data ” means the minimum number of homes that a local plan expects to be provided during the period of the plan;
“ local plan ” must be construed in accordance with section 15C of the PCPA 2004(10);
“ local planning authority ” must be construed in accordance with section 15LF of the PCPA 2004
“ the local planning regulations ” means The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026(11);
Planning data
- Housing requirement data is planning data for the purposes of sections 84 and 86 of the 2023 Act.
Duty to publish housing requirement data
- —(1) A local planning authority must publish housing requirement data on its website at specified points during the preparation of a local plan.
(2) The specified points are—
(a) the day it publishes a consultation under regulation 27(1) of the local planning regulations;
(b) the day it provides its documents and information to the Secretary of State under section 15D(1) of the PCPA 2004(12);
(c) the day it complies with section 15D(13) of the PCPA 2004(13);
(d) the day it complies with regulation 39(1)(a)(i) of the local planning regulations.
Duty to comply with any approved data standard
- A local planning authority must comply with any approved data standards(14) which are applicable when publishing housing requirement data.
Explanatory Note
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations specify categories of planning data for the purpose of section 84 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (“ the 2023 Act ”) and require a relevant planning authority to comply with any approved planning data standards which are applicable in processing that data. The Secretary of State publishes the relevant data standards from time to time on the following website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/.
Informally printed copies of the data standards referred to in the Schedules to these Regulations are available for inspection at the Planning Directorate, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF following a written request to that address or digitalplanningteam@communities.gov.uk.
A Regulatory Impact Assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen. The Regulatory Impact Assessment for the 2023 Act provides analysis of the primary legislative measures from which the measures set out in this instrument derive. Copies of the Regulatory Impact Assessment can be obtained at https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3155/publications and the Annexes to that document can be obtained at https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-03/0169/LevellingUpandRegenerationBillImpactAssessmentAnnexes.pdf and can be inspected at the address provided above. An explanatory memorandum has been published alongside this instrument at www.legislation.gov.uk.
(1) 2023 c. 55.
(2) 2004 c. 5. Section 15B was inserted by section 97 of, and Schedule 7 to, the 2023 Act. “PCPA 2004” is defined in section 249 of the 2023 Act.
(3) Section 15LF was inserted by section 97 of, and Schedule 7 to, the 2023 Act.
(4) Published by the Secretary of State from time to time in accordance with section 84(3) of the 2023 Act.
(5) Section 15B(8) was inserted by section 97 of, and Schedule 7 to, the 2023 Act.
(6) Section 15BB was inserted by section 97 of, and Schedule 7 to, the 2023 Act.
(7) Section 15LG was inserted by section 97 of, and Schedule 7 to, the 2023 Act.
(8) Published by the Secretary of State from time to time in accordance with section 84(3) of the 2023 Act.
(9) Section 15BB(4)(a) of the PCPA 2004 applies section 15B(8) to minerals and waste plan timetables as it applies to local plan timetables.
(10) 2004 c. 5. Section 15C was inserted by section 97 of, and Schedule 7 to, the 2023 Act.
(11) S.I. 2026/186.
(12) Section 15D was inserted by section 97 of, and Schedule 7 to, the 2023 Act.
(13) ibid.
(14) Published by the Secretary of State from time to time in accordance with section 84(3) of the 2023 Act.
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