Fenland District Council reopened its Call for Sites for the Fenland 50 Local Plan on 21 October 2026. There is no fixed closing date. Status checked 23 October 2026. Council source
Fenland Call for Sites 2026: reopened for Fenland 50
Fenland District Council has reopened its Call for Sites for the new Local Plan, Fenland 50, which will guide where new homes and jobs go across the district up to 2050. If you own or control land in or around March, Wisbech, Chatteris, Whittlesey or the Fenland villages, now is the time to put it forward properly.
The Call for Sites is open again
The Council has reopened the Call for Sites so that Fenland 50 meets new national guidance on local plan-making. Updated plan-making regulations came into force on 25 March 2026, and Fenland is now preparing its plan under the new gateway-based system, with a target adoption date of October 2028.
The Council is inviting residents, landowners, developers and community groups to suggest land that could help meet Fenland's future needs, from development sites through to nominations for Local Green Space.
There is no fixed closing date. The Council says the Call for Sites will stay open until further notice, and all submissions received in that period will be assessed alongside its other evidence.
Do you need to resubmit your site?
Submitted between 5 March and 31 May 2026
Your site has been retained. You do not need to resubmit it. You can still use the portal to give the Council updated information on its availability and suitability, and the Council welcomes this.
Emailed in after the earlier round closed
You need to act. The Council has asked for sites sent by email after the earlier exercise closed to be resubmitted through its online portal. Until you do, the site may not be part of the assessment.
A retained submission is not the same as a strong one. If your original submission was a red line and a few lines of text, the reopening is an opportunity to strengthen it before the Council starts shaping growth options.
Land can be put forward for almost any use
Fenland 50 needs land for more than housing. The Council's Call for Sites covers:
- Housing: market, affordable, and self and custom build
- Specialist housing: older people's housing, extra care, residential and nursing care
- Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople: permanent and transit sites, stopping places
- Employment: offices, industrial, warehousing, logistics, data centres and retail
- Community uses: health, cultural, open space, sport and recreation
- Green infrastructure
- Renewable and low-carbon energy: solar, wind and battery storage
- Local Green Space: nominations of green areas of community value
Submission is not allocation
The Council is clear that putting land forward does not mean it will be allocated or included in the Local Plan. It does make sure the Council can consider it. Every site will be assessed for its suitability, availability and achievability, its constraints, and how well it fits the plan's aims.
The quality of the information you provide affects how your site is judged.
What decides whether a Fenland site goes forward
Fenland is not like the rest of Cambridgeshire. Much of the district is low-lying, reclaimed fen that relies on drains, pumping stations and embankments. These are the issues we would expect to matter most when the Council assesses your land.
Flood risk and the sequential test
National policy steers development to land at the lowest risk of flooding. Where a site is in Flood Zone 2 or 3, or at risk from surface water, it has to show why it is preferable to lower-risk alternatives. In Fenland this is often the issue that decides it.
Settlement hierarchy
The adopted 2014 plan focuses growth on the four market towns, March and Wisbech first, then Chatteris and Whittlesey, with smaller amounts in growth villages such as Doddington, Manea, Wimblington and Wisbech St Mary. Fenland 50 will revisit this, so this round is a real chance to influence it.
Access, drainage and infrastructure
Safe highway access, surface water drainage and capacity in local schools, health services and utilities all affect whether a site can be delivered. Evidence showing these can be solved strengthens a submission.
Environmental designations
Land near the Nene Washes or Ouse Washes, close to the district's conservation areas, or with ecological value will need careful handling. Good sites set out early how impacts would be avoided or mitigated.
Give your land the best chance of being taken forward
Councils assess a large number of sites using the same tests. A clear, evidenced submission makes your site easier to assess and harder to dismiss.
Site appraisal
A desktop review of your land's potential, constraints, planning history and the most realistic use, so you know whether it is worth promoting.
View feasibility studiesFlood risk and sequential test
A sequential test and flood risk position that addresses the issue the Council is most likely to raise about Fenland land.
View sequential testCall for Sites submission
A site statement and portal submission covering suitability, availability and achievability, prepared by a Chartered Town Planner.
View land promotionLocal Plan representations
Representations at the initial proposals and publication draft stages, and at examination, so your site stays in the process.
View representationsWhy it makes sense to submit sooner rather than later
"Open until further notice" can make it tempting to wait. We would not advise it. The Council is now developing its vision, growth options and evidence base. Sites already in front of the Council while those options are being shaped are better placed than sites that arrive once the strategy has started to settle.
The Council's published timetable is reviewed monthly, so dates may change.
- Jan to Jul 2026
Early work
Scoping consultations and initial Call for Sites (5 March to 31 May).
- 27 July 2026
Gateway 1
Self-assessment published, marking the start of formal plan-making.
- Now
Shaping the plan CALL FOR SITES OPEN
Vision, objectives, growth options and evidence developed. Call for Sites reopened 21 October 2026.
- Feb to Mar 2027
Initial proposals consultation
Minimum six-week consultation, with an additional Call for Sites alongside it.
- Apr 2027
Gateway 2
Check that the plan's direction is sound before it is finalised.
- Oct to Dec 2027
Publication draft consultation
Eight-week consultation on the draft plan.
- Jan to Mar 2028
Gateway 3 and submission
Readiness check, then submission for independent examination.
- Oct 2028
Adoption
Council considers adoption after a successful examination.
Planning advice across Fenland
Cedar Planning is a Chartered Town Planning practice based in East Anglia, working across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. We know the Fenland Local Plan 2014 policies that still decide applications today, and we track Fenland 50 as it progresses.
We will tell you plainly if we think a site faces serious obstacles. That saves you money on a submission that is unlikely to succeed, and lets you focus on the land that has a real chance.
- March
- Wisbech
- Chatteris
- Whittlesey
- Doddington
- Manea
- Wimblington
- Wisbech St Mary
- Elm
- Parson Drove
- Coates
- Fenland villages
Fixed fees, agreed first
We confirm a fixed fee before any work starts, so you know the cost of promoting your land from the outset.
You deal with the planner doing the work
Your site is handled directly by a Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI), from the first appraisal through to later consultations.
Fenland Call for Sites: common questions
Is the Fenland Call for Sites open?
Yes. Fenland District Council reopened its Call for Sites for the Fenland 50 Local Plan on 21 October 2026. The Council says it will remain open until further notice. Submissions are made through the Council's online Call for Sites portal.
Why has the Fenland Call for Sites reopened?
The Council has reopened the Call for Sites to make sure Fenland 50 meets new national guidance on local plan-making. Updated plan-making regulations came into force on 25 March 2026 and the Council is preparing Fenland 50 under the new gateway-based system.
I submitted my site earlier in 2026. Do I need to resubmit it?
Usually not. Sites submitted during the earlier Call for Sites (5 March to 31 May 2026) have been retained. The exception is a site sent by email after the earlier exercise closed: the Council asks for those to be resubmitted through its online portal. You can also use the portal to provide updated information on availability and suitability.
What types of land can be submitted?
Land can be put forward for any use, including market, affordable and self and custom build housing; specialist and older people's accommodation; Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites; employment uses such as offices, industrial, warehousing, logistics, data centres and retail; community, open space and sport uses; green infrastructure; and renewable and low-carbon energy. Residents and community groups can also nominate Local Green Space.
Does submitting a site mean it will be allocated in Fenland 50?
No. The Council is clear that submitting a site does not mean it will be allocated or included in the Local Plan. Sites are assessed for suitability, availability and achievability, their constraints, and how well they fit the plan's aims. In Fenland, flood risk is often the deciding issue.
If the Call for Sites is open until further notice, should I wait?
We would not advise waiting. The Council is developing its vision, growth options and evidence now, with an initial proposals consultation planned for February to March 2027. Sites in front of the Council while growth options are being shaped are better placed than sites that arrive late in the process.
What is the Fenland 50 timetable?
The Council's published timetable shows Gateway 1 on 27 July 2026, an initial proposals consultation in February to March 2027, Gateway 2 in April 2027, a publication draft consultation in October to December 2027, Gateway 3 in January 2028, submission for examination in March 2028 and adoption in October 2028. The Council reviews the timetable monthly.
Can Cedar Planning help me submit land in Fenland?
Yes. Cedar Planning is a Chartered Town Planning practice based in East Anglia. We can appraise your land, test flood risk and the sequential approach, prepare a supporting site statement, complete the portal submission and represent you through later Fenland 50 consultations. We quote a fixed fee before any work starts.
Have land in Fenland?
Send us the address, a site plan if you have one, and a short note on what you would like to achieve. We will come back with an initial view and a fixed-fee quote.
Related Fenland and land promotion pages
Sources: Fenland District Council Call for Sites notice (October 2026); Fenland 50 Call for Sites 2026; Fenland 50 Local Plan Timetable (last updated September 2026). Information correct at 23 October 2026.
