Your land is proposed for allocation.
Attention moves towards maintaining the planning case, responding to objections or technical issues and ensuring the allocation can withstand scrutiny through the Local Plan examination.
Closed
Closed
Plan your next submissionCanterbury has finished its Call for Sites exercises. The Regulation 19 plan consultation closed on 18 May 2026 and the plan is moving to examination. Status checked 25 September 2026. Council source
Canterbury Local Plan & SLAA
Canterbury Call for Sites
Canterbury's Call for Sites exercises have now closed and the Council has assessed the land submitted through its Strategic Land Availability Assessment.
For landowners, the question has therefore changed. It is no longer simply how to submit a site, but what the Council's assessment means, whether the land has progressed into the emerging Local Plan and what steps remain available as the plan moves towards examination.
Call for Sites
Closed
Latest SLAA
February 2026
Local Plan
Regulation 19 completed
Next major stage
Submission & examination
Where things stand
The site submission stage has finished.
Canterbury City Council is preparing a new Local Plan which is intended to guide development across the district up to 2040.
During preparation of the plan, the Council has carried out three Call for Sites exercises. Landowners, community groups and other interested parties were able to put forward sites they wanted the Council to consider.
Those sites have now been assessed through the Strategic Land Availability Assessment, or SLAA.
The Council has published the assessment outcomes and a map of submitted sites, allowing landowners to understand how their land has performed through the evidence-gathering process.
Strategic Land Availability Assessment
What does the Canterbury SLAA actually tell you?
The SLAA is evidence used by the Council to understand the potential supply of development land. It helps inform the Local Plan, but an SLAA assessment is not the same thing as a planning permission or Local Plan allocation.
S
Suitability
The Council considers planning and environmental issues which could affect whether the site is suitable for the proposed form of development.
A
Availability
The assessment considers whether there is a realistic prospect of the land being available for development within the relevant plan period.
A
Achievability
Deliverability, viability, infrastructure and practical considerations can influence whether development is realistically achievable.
What should you do now?
Site progressing
Site not allocated
Site not submitted
The next step depends on what happened to your site.
Landowners are now in very different positions depending on the outcome of the SLAA and whether their land appears in the Regulation 19 Local Plan.
Your land was assessed but did not progress.
It may be useful to review the Council's assessment critically, understand why competing sites were preferred and consider whether there remains a planning or longer-term promotion case for the land.
You missed the Call for Sites process.
There is no current open Canterbury Call for Sites. An appraisal can still establish the site's planning potential and identify alternative routes, including future Local Plan reviews or a planning application where appropriate.
Reviewing your SLAA result
A negative assessment does not always end the conversation.
Where a site has not progressed, the first step should be to understand precisely why.
A planning review can compare the Council's conclusions against the evidence, emerging Local Plan strategy and the treatment of competing sites.
That helps determine whether there is a realistic basis for further promotion or whether an alternative planning route is more appropriate.
1
Check the Council's conclusions
Review the published SLAA assessment and identify the constraints or reasons that influenced the outcome.
2
Compare the emerging allocations
Consider how the site compares with land which the Council has chosen to take forward.
3
Identify evidence gaps
Determine whether highways, landscape, ecology, heritage, flooding or infrastructure evidence could alter the site's planning case.
4
Decide the next planning route
Establish whether continued Local Plan promotion, a future review or a planning application represents the most proportionate strategy.
Canterbury District Local Plan
The Local Plan has moved beyond site gathering.
The Council has now published its Regulation 19 version of the Canterbury District Local Plan.
Regulation 19 is materially different from the earlier Call for Sites and Regulation 18 stages. The focus is on whether the proposed plan is legally compliant and sound.
The Regulation 19 consultation has closed. The Council states that representations will be submitted alongside the Local Plan and supporting documents to the Secretary of State for examination.
For sites that form part of the proposed development strategy, examination can therefore become an important next stage.
Earlier stages
Call for Sites
Three separate exercises identified potential land for consideration.
2022–2026
SLAA assessment
Submitted sites were assessed and the evidence base was progressively updated.
2025
Focused Regulation 18 consultation
Further consultation considered revised and additional strategic allocations and other planning matters.
2026
Regulation 19
The final draft Local Plan was published for representations on soundness and legal compliance.
Next stage
Examination
The plan and representations are expected to proceed to an independent Planning Inspector.
Strategic land promotion
Allocation is a process, not a single submission.
A Call for Sites submission can begin the process, but successful land promotion often requires continued engagement as evidence, competing sites and planning policy evolve.
Respond to technical issues
Emerging evidence on highways, transport, flooding, ecology, infrastructure or heritage can affect whether a site remains deliverable.
Defend an emerging allocation
Proposed allocations may attract objections. A clear evidence-led planning case can help respond to challenges raised through the Local Plan process.
Challenge an omission
Where a site has not been selected, the Council's evidence and reasons should be understood before deciding whether there is a credible basis for further action.
Plan beyond the current Local Plan
Land that does not progress through this plan may still have longer-term potential as planning circumstances, development needs and evidence change.
Canterbury-specific planning issues
Heritage
Transport
Environment
Flooding & coast
Every site needs to be considered in its local context.
The Canterbury district contains a distinctive mix of historic city, coastal towns, villages and countryside. The issues affecting land promotion can therefore vary significantly from site to site.
A highly sensitive historic environment.
Canterbury's historic core, listed buildings, conservation areas, archaeology and wider heritage settings can significantly influence the location, capacity and design of development.
Movement and infrastructure matter.
Strategic development can place significant demands on the road, public transport and active-travel networks, making transport evidence an important part of site deliverability.
Landscape and ecology can shape capacity.
Biodiversity, designated habitats, landscape character, trees and environmental constraints can influence both whether and how a site may be developed.
Risk varies significantly across the district.
River, surface-water, groundwater and coastal issues can affect particular locations and may require detailed evidence before development potential can be established.
Cedar Planning
Planning advice for Canterbury landowners.
Cedar Planning provides independent planning advice to landowners, developers and site promoters navigating the Local Plan process.
At this stage, our role is likely to be less about completing a Call for Sites form and more about understanding the published evidence, reviewing the site's position and deciding the most effective next step.
We can also provide ongoing strategic land promotion and Local Plan advice .
SLAA Review
Independent assessment of the Council's published conclusions for your site.
Site Appraisal
Review of development potential, planning history and key constraints.
Allocation Strategy
Planning advice for sites included within the emerging Local Plan.
Omission Site Review
Consideration of sites assessed but not selected for allocation.
Local Plan Representations
Strategic advice on representations and subsequent plan-making stages.
Planning Application Strategy
Assessment of whether an application route may offer an alternative to continued Local Plan promotion.
Land across Canterbury district
We can advise on potential development sites across Canterbury district, including Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay and the surrounding villages and rural areas.
The appropriate strategy will depend on the site's individual planning position, its SLAA assessment and its relationship with the emerging Canterbury District Local Plan.
Canterbury Call for Sites FAQs
Frequently asked questions.
Is the Canterbury Call for Sites still open?
No. Canterbury City Council has completed three Calls for Sites and is not currently inviting new submissions through an open Call for Sites exercise.
What happened to the sites that were submitted?
The Council has assessed the submitted land through its Strategic Land Availability Assessment and publishes both site assessments and mapping showing the submissions.
What is the latest Canterbury SLAA?
Canterbury's Local Plan evidence library includes a Strategic Land Availability Assessment dated February 2026 together with individual site assessments and a summary of site submissions.
Does a positive SLAA assessment mean my land is allocated?
No. The SLAA is evidence used to help inform the Local Plan. A site can perform positively through the assessment without automatically becoming a Local Plan allocation or receiving planning permission.
What if my site was not selected for allocation?
It can be useful to review the Council's assessment, the evidence supporting the emerging allocations and the reasons your site did not progress. This can help determine whether there is a credible basis for further promotion or an alternative planning route.
What stage is the Canterbury Local Plan at?
The Regulation 19 consultation has closed. Canterbury City Council states that the Local Plan, representations and supporting documents will be submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination.
Can Cedar Planning review my Canterbury SLAA site?
Yes. We can review the Council's assessment, planning history, relevant constraints and emerging Local Plan position and advise on the most appropriate next steps.
I never submitted my land. Is it too late?
There is no current open Call for Sites, but that does not necessarily mean land has no development potential. A feasibility assessment can consider alternative planning routes and longer-term Local Plan opportunities.
Related planning services
Planning support for landowners and developers.
Strategic Land Promotion
Develop and maintain the planning case for land through the
Local Plan and site-selection process.
Local Plan Representations
Professional advice on emerging policies, site allocations and
Local Plan evidence.
Planning Feasibility Studies
Understand the planning potential and constraints of a site
before deciding how to proceed.
Speak to Cedar Planning
Have land in Canterbury that has been through the Call for Sites process?
Send us the site location or SLAA reference and a brief outline of your position. We can review the published assessment and emerging Local Plan position and advise on the most appropriate next steps.
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