Birmingham Focused Preferred Options
We are working on a new Local Plan for Birmingham which will:
- decide how the city will develop
- provide policies to guide decisions on development proposals and planning applications up to 2044
We carried out a preferred options consultation in summer 2024, however, due to publication of a new National Planning Policy Framework in December 2024, we need to make revisions to the Birmingham Local Plan.
An additional Focused Preferred Options consultation is now being carried out because the required changes are thought to be too significant to introduce at the Regulation 19 (publication) stage of plan making.
About the focused preferred options document
This is a consultation document prepared under Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.
It updates the council’s preferred options document in terms of:
- development strategy
- draft policies
- site allocations
It takes into account evidence gathered to date, and the views gained from the consultation carried out in summer 2024.
The discussion paper gives interested parties an opportunity to:
- comment on the significant changes to the Birmingham Local Plan since the Preferred Options Consultation
- further shape the publication plan.
Consultation dates
The consultation on the focused preferred options document will run from 23 October to 4 December 2025.
View the consultation and make comments
Consultation events
We will be running consultation events at locations across the across the city, and online.
In-person events
| Date |
Time |
Location |
|---|---|---|
|
Friday 7 November |
10:00am to 4:00pm |
Handsworth library |
| Saturday 8 November | 11:00am to 4:30pm | Library of Birmingham |
|
Tuesday 11 November |
2:00pm to 7:00pm | Mere Green library/Community Hub |
| Friday 14 November | 10:00am to 4:00pm | Sainsbury's, Longbridge |
| Monday 17 November | 10:00am to 3:30pm | Nechells POD |
Online events
| Date |
Time |
Join us |
|---|---|---|
|
General session Friday 24 October |
10:00am to 11:00am |
|
|
General session Monday 10 November |
2:00pm to 3:00pm | Join the general online session |
|
General session Thursday 13 November |
6:00pm to 7:00pm | Join the general online session |
|
Young person's session Monday 24 November |
4:00pm to 5:00pm | Join the young person's online session |
Previous consultation
Consultation previously took place in:
- October 2022 – on an issues and options document
- summer 2024 – on the preferred options document
You can download the consultation statements, a summary of representations received, and how we responded for both documents:
Download the issues and options consultation statement
Download the issues and options representations and responses
Download the preferred options consultation statement
Download the preferred options representations and responses - this document will be uploaded shortly
How to keep updated
If you want information about the Birmingham Local Plan, register on our Planning Consultation portal
If you would like to be kept informed about upcoming consultations on the Birmingham Local Plan and other planning documents, register to join our mailing list.
If you have any other queries about Birmingham Local Plan, email planningstrategy@birmingham.gov.uk
Evidence base
To support the Local Plan, we will continue to update the evidence base. This includes:
- Housing Economic Land Availability Assessment
- 5 year Land Supply
- Growth Zone Background Paper
- Sustainability Appraisal
- Green Belt Assessment
Page last updated: 22 October 2025
