Part 13: General Schedule 7: Plan making Section 15CA: Local plans: preparation and further provision Background
The former provisions for the preparation of a local plan are set out in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 section 17 and section 19. New section 15CA consolidates various existing powers and provisions set out in the existing legislation and replaces terminology associated with the existing development plan framework, referring instead to the local plan and its associated timetable (provision for which is made in sections 15C and 15B respectively).
	New section 15CA introduces requirements in relation to how a local planning authority prepares local plans. As in the former Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 section 19(2), local planning authorities must have regard to various other documents and considerations in preparing local plans, to ensure consistency across different parts of the development plan and other spatial plans prepared by the devolved nations. A new requirement is introduced to ensure authorities have adequate regard to the view of their communities.
	New section 15CA also sets out the areas for which the Secretary of State may make regulations in relation to the local plan process; some former powers (set out in Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 section 17(7) and section 19(6)) are retained, with new powers to introduce, via regulations, mandatory local plan preparation gateway checks and a mandatory timetable for local plan preparation.