Our consultation is now open! Have your say on Torbay's emerging Local Plan.

We are inviting you to have your say on the next stage of Torbay Local Plan. The Regulation 19 consultation runs from 13 August until 24 September at 11.59pm and asks whether the plan is ready to move forward to independent examination.

The Local Plan is an important document that will guide development across Torbay up to 2045. Once adopted, it will become the legal starting point for determining planning applications and will help shape how Torbay grows while supporting sustainable communities, economic prosperity and environmental protection.

The consultation follows the Regulation 18 stage, which took place between November 2025 and January 2026. During that consultation, residents, businesses and stakeholders were asked for their views on the draft Local Plan. Feedback received during that stage, alongside updated evidence and technical assessments completed during 2026, has helped shape the Regulation 19 Publication Version Local Plan to be published for consultation.

This Regulation 19 consultation is different from the previous stage. At this point, the council are seeking views on whether the plan:

• Is the right plan for Torbay

• Is based on the right evidence

• Is in line with national planning policy and legislation

• Is ready to be examined by a Planning Inspector appointed by the Government

The council will review comments received on these matters before preparing the final draft of the Torbay Local Plan. This will be reported to full Council in December 2026 to seek approval to submit it to the Secretary of State in December 2026. Following submission, the plan will be independently examined before its anticipated adoption in 2027/28.

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To take part in the consultation, scroll down and select the link below 'Local Plan Online Consultation'. 

The publication version link will take you to our online consultation pages where you can review the Local Plan and add your comments. To add a comment, select one of the comment buttons available in each chapter and policy.
 

Supporting documents are also available below. Appendices A (Glossary) and D (Sites of Special Scientific Interest, National Nature Reserve and Local Sites of Wildlife and Geological Interest) are available to view. Other appendices (B, C, E, F) for final submission relate to content already available in the Reg19 plan or those that serve to provide a schedule of supporting documents only.

The evidence base and previous stages of the Local Plan Update can be viewed on our Planning Policy webpages on the Torbay Council website.

You can still access the online Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan and Interactive Policies Map in the historic documents section below.