Gateway 3 for local plans: what you need to do

Gateway 3 is the final mandatory gateway that supports you in adopting a plan within 30 months. It involves assessing whether your plan is ready to submit to the Planning Inspectorate for examination.  

The Planning Inspectorate’s procedure guidance sets out its role in the Gateway 3 assessment and further detail of what to expect. 

When to pass through Gateway 3 

Before you pass through Gateway 3, you must have: 

• passed through a Gateway 2 assessment conducted by the Planning Inspectorate 

• consulted on your proposed plan 

• where relevant, consulted on the conformity of your proposed local plan with any operative spatial development strategy 

• analysed feedback from the consultation to inform whether any final changes to your plan are needed 

• published a summary of consultation responses on the proposed local plan 

You must pass through Gateway 3 when you have completed the above steps and you are satisfied that you have met the prescribed requirements as set out in regulations. You should also consider that your proposed local plan is ready to be examined by an Inspector.   

Read the 30-month local plan process guide to understand the various stages of plan preparation, including how to prepare supporting documentation.  

How to pass through Gateway 3 

You must provide the Gateway 3 submission documents to the Planning Inspectorate who will assess your plan against the prescribed requirements set out in regulations.   

Whether your plan meets these requirements will determine whether you can pass through the gateway and then submit your plan for examination.  

The Planning Inspectorate can assess your progress more easily if you provide a summary of: 

• representations raised from consultation relating to the prescribed requirements, along with a brief response to those points  

• how you had regard to the advice and observations arising from the Gateway 2 assessment 

You will need to demonstrate that you are ready to proceed to examination as one of the prescribed requirements. You must, as part of your Gateway 3 submission documents, provide a statement to the Planning Inspectorate setting out the practical arrangements you have in place that show you are ready for examination. This should include details of:  

• your programme officer  

• your examination website  

• the venues for hearings and the availability of video conferencing   

This will help the Planning Inspectorate start examining your plan quickly once you successfully pass through Gateway 3 and submit your plan for examination in line with the 30-month timeframe.

The statement should also confirm that your team is available to work for the examination’s expected duration.  

If the proposed local plan that you submit to Gateway 3 was amended following consultation on it, you should provide a statement outlining:

• all changes that you have made  

• whether any additional consultation has been undertaken on them 

After the Planning Inspectorate receives all your information, the gateway assessor will check your proposed local plan against the prescribed requirements to ensure that your plan is compliant. The assessor will then submit a report to you stating whether the plan has met the requirements and can go to examination.

The assessment process should take 4 weeks or up to 6 weeks in exceptional circumstances.  

What you need to do next 

If you successfully pass through Gateway 3, you must submit your plan for examination.   

You will also need to make available this information for public inspection: 

• the observations and advice you receive from your assessor as soon as is reasonably practicable after receipt  

• the documents you submitted to the gateway assessor   

• your Gateway 3 completion statement confirming the date you successfully passed it  

 You must also: 

• notify each person who requested to be notified of the publication of observations or advice and anyone else you consider appropriate 

• send a copy of the observations or advice to each person identified or referred to in the observations or advice 

You must ensure that your local plan timetable is regularly updated so that the Planning Inspectorate and interested parties can keep informed of your plan-making progress.

If you fail to pass Gateway 3 

If you do not successfully pass through Gateway 3, you cannot proceed to examination at this stage. You will need to make the necessary changes that the assessor advises and re-do the gateway. 

You must send the assessor your updated Gateway 3 submission documents that address the issues identified by the assessor at your previous Gateway 3 assessment.    

How to re-do Gateway 3 

1. Review the gateway assessor’s report to understand where your proposed local plan has not met the prescribed requirements. 

2. As soon as is reasonably practicable, address the issues identified and ensure that your proposed local plan meets the prescribed requirements.

3. Resubmit your Gateway 3 documents to the Planning Inspectorate to seek further observations and advice on whether your proposed local plan meets the prescribed requirements. 

4. Update your local plan timetable as soon as is reasonably practicable after you resubmit to Gateway 3 to set out the date on which you did so.  

If you are successful in passing the assessment this time around, you will need to follow the steps set out in What you need to do next. 

There is no limit to the number of times that you can repeat Gateway 3. However, you should consider the effect that any further repetitions of this gateway has on your plan preparation including on your evidence base. Each repetition of this gateway will need to be reflected in your local plan timetable. This may affect your ability to prepare and adopt your local plan within 30 months. 

If extensive changes are made to the plan in light of a failed Gateway 3 attempt and the assessor’s report, you will need to consider whether you should reconsult on the proposed plan.