Doncaster Planning Consultant
Floodplain, Green Belt and a plan under review
Doncaster combines a large floodplain to the north and east, Green Belt on its western side and a Local Plan that the council has now decided to replace. Cedar Planning prepares applications for City of Doncaster Council that deal with those issues head on, rather than leaving them for the case officer to raise.
Cedar is a Chartered practice led by Dan Malloy MRTPI. We are based in Norfolk, work across England and take on Doncaster instructions with site visits arranged as needed.
- RTPI Chartered
- Fixed-fee quotations
- Direct advice from a Chartered Planner
The Doncaster Local Plan and the review now under way
City of Doncaster Council adopted its Local Plan on 23 September 2021. It runs from 2015 to 2035 and set a requirement for at least 920 net new homes a year. It includes the release of Green Belt land for around 1,000 homes, safeguarded the HS2 route at the time and supported major growth projects such as Unity near junction 5 of the M18.
The policies are numbered rather than lettered. Applications for housing are commonly assessed against Policy 10 on residential policy areas, Policy 41 on design context, Policy 42 on efficient use of land and Policy 44 on residential design, with Policy 13 on sustainable transport covering parking and highway safety.
In May 2026 the council's cabinet agreed to prepare a new Local Plan. The main driver is the government's revised method for housing need, which lifts Doncaster's figure from 920 to about 1,235 homes a year. A call for sites was launched in 2026 and the council has targeted adoption for 2029.
Until the new plan is in place, the 2021 plan remains the starting point. The gap between its housing requirement and the new national figure is something applicants and landowners should understand, both for individual applications and for promoting land into the review.
Flooding in 2007, 2019 and 2023
Parts of the borough flooded in June 2007, again in November 2019 when Fishlake was badly hit, and during Storm Babet in October 2023. The council's investigation of Babet found that several locations, including Nursery Lane in Sprotbrough, had flooded before. Expect flood risk to be scrutinised closely.
Doncaster-specific planning issues
Large areas around Thorne, Fishlake and the river valleys sit in higher flood zones. The council has adopted a Flood Risk SPD, and new homes there usually need a site-specific flood risk assessment and a sequential test.
The west of the borough is Green Belt, while much of the east is designated countryside. The two carry different tests, so replacement dwellings, extensions and rural conversions need the correct policy route.
An Article 4 Direction in force since 14 October 2019 removes permitted development for small HMOs in Town, Town Fields, Wheatley, Hexthorpe, Balby, Wheatley Hills, Intake and Belle Vue.
The council and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority are working to reopen the airport. An airspace change decision by the Civil Aviation Authority is expected by May 2027, and nearby sites should allow for that.
Our planning services for Doncaster clients
We quote each job as a fixed fee. These are the services most often requested for sites in the borough.
Planning Applications
New homes, infill plots and changes of use, with the case set out against Policies 10, 41, 42 and 44 and a clear account of flood risk where the site needs one.
View serviceSequential Test
Sequential test reports for sites in Flood Zones 2 and 3 around Thorne, Stainforth, Fishlake and the Don corridor, agreeing the search area with the council before the work begins.
View serviceHMO Planning
Applications for small HMOs inside the central Article 4 area, and certificates for properties already in lawful HMO use before the direction took effect.
View serviceCall for Sites and Promotion
Site submissions and supporting evidence for landowners wishing to put land forward for the new Doncaster Local Plan while the council's evidence base is being assembled.
View serviceRural Planning
Barn conversions, farm diversification and dwellings in the countryside, drawing on the council's Rural Development SPD and the Class Q prior approval route where it applies.
View servicePlanning Appeals
Appeals against refusals by City of Doncaster Council, including householder, full application and condition appeals, prepared for written representations or a hearing.
View serviceWhat decision makers look for in Doncaster
Design is judged on context. Officers rely on Policy 41 and Policy 44, and have also referred to the South Yorkshire Residential Design Guide and the council's Transitional Developer Guidance, although the latter are informal guidance rather than adopted SPDs. A good submission shows how the scheme responds to the street and protects neighbours' privacy and daylight.
The council also has a set of adopted SPDs covering biodiversity net gain, flood risk, technical and developer requirements, loss of community facilities and open space, local labour agreements and rural development. We check which apply before an application is lodged, since missing evidence is a common cause of delay or refusal.
Key policy areas we navigate
Policy 10 on amenity and the character of existing housing areas, the test most householder and infill schemes meet first.
Policy 41 on context, Policy 42 on efficient use of land and Policy 44 on residential design and neighbour impact.
The Flood Risk SPD, the council's Strategic Flood Risk Assessments and the national sequential and exception tests.
National Green Belt policy in the west, countryside policies in the east and the Rural Development SPD.
A Consultancy That Works With You, For You
Doncaster is a place where flood risk can decide a housing scheme before design is discussed. Early advice on the sequential test, or on whether a site is worth pursuing at all, saves wasted drawings.
The Local Plan review is also a window for landowners. Sites put forward with good evidence now have a better chance of being taken seriously when the council chooses its allocations.
RTPI Chartered
Led by a Chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute with more than ten years of public and private-sector planning experience.
Honest Prospects
A realistic view of the planning risks and options before you commit time or money.
Fixed, Transparent Fees
Fixed-fee quotations agreed before work starts, so you know the cost from the outset.
Direct Access
You deal with the Chartered Planner doing the work, not an account manager.
Other Areas We Cover in Yorkshire & the Humber
Cedar Planning is based in Norfolk and also advises on sites in South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. See our main locations page. If your application has been refused, see our Doncaster planning appeal page.
Doncaster Planning FAQs
Is Doncaster writing a new Local Plan?
Yes. In May 2026 the cabinet agreed to prepare a new plan because the government's housing need method raises the borough's figure to around 1,235 homes a year. A call for sites was launched in 2026 and adoption is targeted for 2029. See our Local Plan representations service.
Can I build a house on land in Flood Zone 3 near Thorne?
It is difficult but not always impossible. The council will expect a sequential test showing no reasonably available sites at lower risk, then the exception test and a site-specific flood risk assessment. Finished floor levels, safe access and drainage all need to be designed in from the start.
Do I need permission for a small HMO in Balby or Hexthorpe?
Yes. Both are within the Article 4 area that took effect on 14 October 2019, along with Town, Town Fields, Wheatley, Wheatley Hills, Intake and Belle Vue. Outside those areas a change to a small HMO is usually permitted development, subject to licensing rules.
Can I convert a barn in the east of the borough?
Often, either through a full application or through Class Q prior approval if the building and its past agricultural use qualify. Flood zone location matters here too, and the council's Rural Development SPD sets out what it looks for.
Which design guide does Doncaster use?
Policies 41 and 44 of the Local Plan are the formal tests. Officers have also referred to the South Yorkshire Residential Design Guide and the council's Transitional Developer Guidance as informal guidance on matters such as garden sizes and separation distances.
Get a Free Quote
Tell us what you are trying to achieve and where the property or site is. We will give you an initial view and a fixed-fee quote.
Or email us at info@cedarplanning.co.uk with the relevant information.
For a site in Doncaster, book a free 15-minute call or ask about a sequential test or feasibility study, and we will reply with a fixed-fee quotation.