How to submit a response to the Sheffield Plan consultation

Anyone wishing to comment on the consultation should submit their comments and representations during the 6-week public consultation starting on Monday 2nd of March 2026 and closing at 5pm on Tuesday the 14th of April 2026.

Where and how?

Responses can be submitted from Monday 2nd of March until 5pm on Tuesday 14th of April. They can be submitted using the following methods:

  • On paper representation forms:

  • Printed and returned by post (see address below)

  • By post and sent to:

Strategic Planning Team

Planning Service

5th Floor, Howden House

Sheffield

S1 2SH

The Council encourage those submitting comments to use the consultation website.

It is important to note that representations sent after the consultation period will be marked as late and may risk not being taken into account by the Inspectors.

What happens once my response is submitted and the consultation finishes?

All comments received during the 6-week consultation period will be passed to the Inspectors for them to consider, except for comments made on the Additional Modifications, which will be considered by the City Council.

Your comments and name will be published but other personal information will remain confidential.

What are the next steps in the process after the consultation is finished?

The Inspectors will review and consider the comments received and will decide whether to recommend the Main Modifications are made to the Sheffield Plan within their Final Report. If required, the Inspectors may request further hearing sessions take place to discuss new significant evidence submitted during this consultation. Having received the Final Report, the Council will then decide whether to adopt the plan with the recommended modifications or not.

How should I write my response?

The Inspectors will want to see evidence to justify any proposed changes to the Main Modifications – there needs to be valid planning reasons for rejecting or amending the Main Modifications. As the plan has undergone previous consultations and it has been extensively debated in front of the Inspectors during the hearing sessions, comments and evidence already made should not be repeated. The Inspectors will have seen and heard these already and they will have informed their decision on which parts of the plan are sound, and which are not and therefore require these modifications.

Relevant planning considerations include environmental and ecological impacts, traffic and transport, infrastructure and community facilities provision or economic viability. You may also comment on whether the modifications comply with Government legislation.

All representations should:

  • provide the modification reference number that you are commenting on;

  • indicate whether the modification is legally compliant and sound, justifying your position with evidence where possible; and

  • if relevant, set out the change you are seeking.

Representations on the other documents that form part of this consultation, including the Integrated Impact Assessment work and Habitat Regulations Assessment should also be focused on soundness and legal compliance.

Legal Compliance

You should consider the following before making a representation on legal compliance:

  • The plan should be included in the Council’s Local Development Scheme (LDS)1 and the key stages set out in the LDS should have been followed. .

  • The process of community involvement for the Plan should also be in general accordance with the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)2, which sets out the strategy for involving the community in the preparation and revision of the Plan.

  • A Sustainability Appraisal (for Sheffield this is called the Integrated Impact Assessment) should be available and comply with the relevant requirements.

  • The Plan should comply with all other relevant requirements of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, and the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, as amended (the Regulations).

Soundness

Comments submitted should also aim to include why the aspect of the consultation being commented on is not considered ‘positively prepared’, ‘justified’, ‘effective’ or "consistent with national policy" (those found in the December 2023 National Planning Policy Framework3 - (NPPF). Please see definitions and a brief explanation in the table below. The Inspectors will decide whether to recommend these modifications are made based on the above tests of Soundness. It is important to keep comments to the point as much as possible.

Test of Soundness

Brief Explanation

Positively Prepared: the Local Plan is based on a strategy which seeks to meet objectively assessed development and infrastructure requirements

This means that the Local Plan should be based on a strategy which seeks to meet objectively assessed development and infrastructure requirements, and consistent with achieving sustainable development.

Justified: the most appropriate strategy when considered against the reasonable alternatives, based on proportionate evidence

This means that the Local Plan should be based on a robust and credible evidence base.

Effective: The Local Plan is deliverable over its period based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic priorities

This means the Local Plan should be deliverable, requiring evidence of:

  • Sound infrastructure delivery planning;

  • Having no regulatory or national planning barriers to delivery;

  • Delivery partners who are signed up to it; and

  • Coherence with the strategies of neighbouring authorities.

  • The Local Plan should be flexible and able to be monitored.

Consistent with national policy

This means that the Local Plan enables the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in the NPPF.