Carter Jonas has introduced a Live Local Plan Monitor, which is an interactive online platform designed to analyse adopted local plans, along with emerging plans, consultations and housing land supply.

The web-based resource provides an up-to-date snapshot of local planning which will create a level of insight not previously available. It does this through a series of interactive web pages displaying local authority boundaries, key towns and cities and road networks in the context of information on the adopted local plan, emerging local plans, the regulation stage reached, stated housing land supply and opportunities for submitting sites for development suitability assessment.

The tool is intended for use by developers, landowners, central government, those responsible for major infrastructure projects, government bodies, local authorities, as well as members of the public.

James Cordery, associate partner, planning and development, Carter Jonas, said: “We will use the information collated to identify opportunities for housing and commercial development and to assist our landowning and developer clients in their decision making. This is particularly important at present, when clients are reading about government proposals for significant and wide-reaching reform of our planning system.

“Furthermore, the need for a clear understanding of land’s development potential at the early stages of the plan-making process is increasing in importance. If enacted, the proposals within the government’s recent White Paper, Planning for the Future will see most of the consultation on emerging development opportunities front-loaded through the local plan making stage. This will mean that early engagement becomes even more critical and knowing when to ‘strike’ will provide our clients with an advantage.

“In the near-term, government is also proposing changes to the standard methodology. If introduced, these changes will increase the new housing requirement for several local planning authorities, providing further opportunities for development proposals to be brought forward, whilst councils work to update their local development plans.”