Wakefield District Local Plan

The Wakefield District Local Plan (adopted 24 January 2024) is the statutory development plan for the Wakefield District alongside the Walton Neighbourhood Plan in the affected area.

The Local Plan sets out the vision, strategy, development principles and policies to guide development in the Wakefield district until 2036.

The Local Plan Policies Map should be used in conjunction with the 'additional information' section below.

During the course of publishing the adopted Local Plan, changes were made to the policy and site reference numbers. Please see the Schedule of Policy Renumbering.

Local Plan

The Local Plan consists of:

• Volume 1 Development Strategy, Strategic and Local Policies

• Volume 1 (HTML format)

• Volume 2 Settlement Specific Policies

• Volume 2 (HTML format)

• Policies Map (please also see 'additional information' below)

The component parts of the Policies Map can also be downloaded as follows and should be used in conjunction with the 'additional information' set out below:

• area-wide maps showing the district-wide and settlement specific site allocation policies and designations 

  • Northern

  • South East

  • Western

• Inset maps showing policies, allocations and designations within town centres

  • Northern

  • SE Western

  • Wakefield City

• Safeguarding map showing coal resources and petroleum licence areas 

• Hot Food Takeaway Exclusion map - adopted policies map only, refer to 'additional information' below for updates as a result of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) December 2024

• Housing Viability Value Areas map

Additional information

• Hot Food Takeaway Exclusion Map Revised - reflects NPPF December 2024

• HS2 Safeguarding Direction update - on 17 July 2025, the Secretary of State for Transport removed many of the Safeguarding Directions for the former Phase 2b of High Speed Two (HS2). No land within the Wakefield District is now covered by such HS2 Safeguarding Directions

• Conservation Areas - The Council is undertaking a programme of updating Conservation Area boundaries and the associated Appraisals and Management Plans. Recent updates have been made to the boundaries of the Ossett, Horbury and Wakefield Wood Street, with new Conservation Areas designated in Castleford and Felkirk and Hodroyd. The latest Conservation Area boundaries can be found at Conservation areas - Wakefield Council. These should be used in conjunction with the Local Plan Policies Map to ensure up-to-date boundaries are used.

Key evidence documents

The evidence documents that are relevant include:

• EX.WDC07a Specific Green Belt Compensatory Improvements Note

• EX.WDC70 Traveller Need and Supply Information Note

• EX.WDC93 Gypsy and Traveller Need Supply Proposed Modifications Note for Inspector 

• EX.WDC102 Note for Inspector - Employment Need and Supply Update- Post Stage 2 Hearings 

• Heritage Impact Assessments, which are available from the Heritage Impact Assessment section of the Wakefield District Local Plan Evidence Base

Previous consultations, examination and adoption information

• Local Plan Preparation and Examination

• Inspector's Report

• Local Plan Examination Library

• Local Plan Adoption Statement

Sustainability Appraisal and Adoption

• Sustainability Appraisal Post Adoption Statement

• SA Report Appendices D-E January 2024

• SA Report Appendices F January 2024

• SA Report Appendices G-I January 2024

• SA Addendum October 2021

• Wakefield District Local Plan 2036 Final SA Report

The Local Plan can be viewed in libraries and Wakefield One Customer Access Point as paper copies or by using the public access computers.