Decision

To approve publication of the Gateway 1 self-assessment and confirm that the Council has satisfied the requirements of Regulation 21 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning)(England) Regulations 2026, and thereby proceed through the Gateway 1 stage in the preparation of the Development Plan for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

Reasons for the decision

Before formally commencing a 30-month period for preparing a new local plan (the Development Plan for the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead), Regulation 21 of the Local Plan Regulations 2026 requires the local planning authority to undertake a self-assessment of its readiness to formally commence plan-making – this is known as the ‘Gateway 1’ stage of plan preparation. This self-assessment has been undertaken using the MHCLG template and demonstrates that the Council is in a position to proceed to the next stage of plan preparation.

Alternative options considered

The alternative options are
- to not proceed through Gateway 1 at all (effectively a ‘do nothing' option). However, producing a local plan is a statutory requirement and so ‘do nothing’ is not a realistic option, and it is likely to result in government intervention.
- delay passing through Gateway 1 until a later date. However, the self-assessment undertaken indicates that good progress has been made and/or provisions put in place across the range of different areas of work outlined in the legislation and government guidance, such that it is considered appropriate to commence the formal plan-making process by proceeding through the Gateway 1 stage. Furthermore the council committed to proceeding through Gateway 1 by 31st October 2026 in applying for and taking up a government grant of £108,474.57 to assist with plan-making, and there is no strong reason for departing from this commitment.