Kingston Council published its long-awaited new Local Plan for the statutory Regulation 19 consultation in July 2026. The new Local Plan will shape where new homes go, how green spaces are protected, what infrastructure we get, and how the borough changes over the next 20 years.
Significant developments for Chessington
Despite our councillors and local MP Sir Ed Davey supporting residents against the proposed Hook Park development, this site has been included in the plan. The Hook Park (2000 homes) and Chessington Golf Course (256 homes) sites have been re-designated from Green Belt to Grey Belt. These sites have been allocated as suitable for 52 permanent traveller pitches and for tall buildings.
What is Regulation 19?
Regulation 19 is the final consultation stage for residents, statutory bodies, developers and other organisations to make comments on the legal compliance of the new Local Plan and whether it meets the tests of ‘soundness’ (as laid out in the National Planning Policy Framework PM1-PM3 and PM4-PM7) before the plan is examined by the Government’s Planning Inspector. This is different from earlier consultations: the Inspector is looking for planning‑based reasons, not simply whether people like or dislike a proposal e.g. is the evidence up to date, the policies justified, is it legal?
Why your voice matters?
The 4th September 2026 deadline for commenting on Kingston’s Local Plan has now passed, yet the Council has still not published the legally required Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA). This assessment should have formed part of the evidence base at Regulation 19, but Kingston intends to release it only after the main consultation has closed. Once the HRA is eventually published, the Council says it will run a separate six‑week consultation on that document.
Kingston Council has chosen to publish the Local Plan at Regulation 19 without the legally required HRA, and to consult on the HRA separately at a later date. While this may offer procedural convenience to the Council, it is not legally compliant. Regulation 19 requires the Local Plan and all accompanying evidence – including the HRA – to be published together so that the public can make representations on legal compliance and soundness. The Planning Inspectorate’s Procedure Guide confirms that missing evidence constitutes a failure of legal compliance. The Council’s approach prevents meaningful representations and undermines the integrity of the consultation process.
Read the Draft Local Plan documents
Background
Every council must have a Local Plan to set out how the area will develop in the years ahead. Kingston’s has been repeatedly delayed. In February 2026 the council said work was underway on a new plan that will outline what the borough will look like over the next 20 years.
Once adopted, it will replace the existing Core Strategy (2012) and the Kingston Town Centre Area Action Plan (2008). It will guide decisions on housing, employment, infrastructure, open space and community facilities through to 2043, and provide the policies used to approve or refuse planning applications.
Timetable
At February 2026’s Place Committee meeting, the following revised timetable was agreed:
- Q2 2026 – Publication of the draft Local Plan (Regulation 19 consultation)
- Q4 2026 – Submission to the Secretary of State
- Q2 2027 – Examination in Public
- Q3 2027 – Anticipated adoption
This timetable is part of the borough’s Local Development Scheme, which is the council’s timeline for producing strategic planning documents.
We understand from reading the Kingston Society’s website that missing the end of year deadline for submission to the government could require the council to restart plan-making under a new national system, potentially delaying adoption by several years.
Read the Kingston Society’s report on the Local Plan meeting held on 29th July 2026.
