SHEFFIELD PLAN EXAMINATION
18th December 2025
EXAMINATION LATEST NEWS
The Hearing Sessions are now closed. The Inspectors will write to the Council in due course to outline their Post Hearing Findings.
18th December 2025 - EXAM 197 - Stage 4 Action 7 – Compensation Improvement Opportunities within remaining Green Belt published.
17th December 2025 - EXAM 68A - Local Aggregates Assessment – Ratified Version published.
12th December 2025 - EXAM 196 - Marie Tidball MP Hearing Transcript published.
11th December 2025 - EXAM 123B - Note on supplementary offsite sports provision/improvement in support of sites ES25 & SS01 published.
25th November 2025 - The following documents related to Stage 4 Hearing Actions have been published.
EXAM 192 - Stage 4 Action 37 – Housing Delivery Test 2023 Recalculation Letter
EXAM 193 - Stage 4 Action 39 – Plan Showing Extension to Site Allocation NES 03 from Planning Application
EXAM 194 - Stage 4 Action 40 – Landowner Availability Letter NES 36
EXAM 195 - Schedule of Stage 4 Action Points and Potential Main Modifications
18th November 2025 - V8 Programme published. Council's consultation on a number of documents which relate to the recent Stage 4 Hearing Sessions commenced. Documents available for comment.
11th November 2025 - Hearing Session Agenda 21st November published.
10th November 2025 - EXAM 56B - SCC Employment Land Supply Update, EXAM 180 - Note on Changes to Site Capacities and EXAM 181 - Housing Supply - Stepped Trajectory Note published.
3rd November 2025 - EXAM 179 - Indicative Access SES 29 published.
21st October 2025 - EXAM 128A - Infrastructure Delivery Plan Part 2 – Infrastructure Schedule Addendum published.
14th October 2025 - EXAM 44B - Statement of Common Ground Between SCC and Peak District NPA Part 2 published.
13th October 2025 - EXAM 173A - SWS 19 – BNG Baseline Metric Calculation published.
11th October 2025 - EXAM 178 -NES 37 – Baseline Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment published.
10th October 2025 - The following documents were published:
EXAM 163 - Statement of Common Ground with SCC as Landowner re NWS 31
EXAM 164 - Statement of Common Ground with Ackroyd & Abbott Ltd re SWS 18
EXAM 165 - SWS 18 – Preliminary Ecological Assessment
EXAM 166 - NES 37 - Illustrative Concept Plan
EXAM 167 - NWS 31 – Illustrative Concept Plan
EXAM 168 - SES 30 – Illustrative Concept Plan
EXAM 169 - Statement of Common Ground with Miller Homes re SS19
EXAM 170 - Ecological Appraisal – SS19
EXAM 171 - Illustrative Masterplan – SS19
EXAM 172 - Statement of Common Ground with Devonshire Property Group re SWS 19
EXAM 173 - SWS 19 – Biodiversity Net Gain Feasibility Assessment
EXAM 174 - SWS 19 – Preliminary Ecological Assessment
EXAM 175 - SES 30 – Baseline Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment
EXAM 176 - NWS 31 – Baseline Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment
EXAM 177 - NES 36 – Preliminary Ecological Assessment
8th October 2025 - EXAM 158 - Ecological Appraisal - CH 03 , EXAM 159 - Annual Air Quality Status Report 2025 , EXAM 152A - National Flood Mapping Update - Week 2 Sites , EXAM 160 - Statement of Common Ground with Commercial Estates Group re Site NWS 30 , EXAM 161 - Statement of Common Ground with SCC as Landowner re Site SES 30 and EXAM 162 - Statement of Common Ground with SCC as Landowner re Site NES 37 published.
7th October 2025 - EXAM 153 - Ecological Appraisal – SES 30, EXAM 154 - Ecological Appraisal – NWS 31 and EXAM 155 - Ecological Appraisal – NES 37 published together with EXAM 156 - Statement of Common Ground between SCC and Norfolk Estates re SES 29 and EXAM 157 - SES 29 – Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment (Baseline)
5th October 2025 - V5 Hearings Programme published to reflect latest participant position.
30th September 2025 - EXAM 152 - National Flood Modelling Update published.
28th September 2025 - EXAM 151 - Flood Risk Sequential and Exception Test Report published.
26th September 2025 - Stage 4 Agenda - 14th October - Sites NWS 30 & NWS 31 v2 updated. The following documents have also been published today:
EXAM 142 - Statement of Common Ground between SCC and Limes Developments re NES 39
EXAM 143 - Statement of Common Ground between SCC and Norfolk Estate re NES 38
EXAM 145 - Statement of Common Ground between SCC and Limes Developments re CH 05
EXAM 146 - Statement of Common Ground between SCC and Rula Developments re CH 04
EXAM 147 - Statement of Common Ground between SCC and Fitzwilliam Wentworth Estates re CH 03
EXAM 148 - CH 03 Preliminary Ground Investigation Report
EXAM 149 - CH 03 Access Arrangement Drawing
EXAM 150 - Statement of Common Ground between SCC and the Environment Agency
25th September 2025 - EXAM 140 - Housing Supply & Trajectory Update and EXAM 141- Alternative Brownfiled Sites & Other Options CEG Action Group published.
24th September 2025 - EXAM 130A - Proposed Additional Site Allocations: Site Selection Additional Note published.
22nd September 2025 - EXAM 136 - Green Belt Review – Appraisal of Proposed Additional Site Allocations and Consequential Deletions v2 (September 2025) updated to correct errors in assessment of CH 05.
19th September 2025 - EXAM 138 - Written Statement – S12 Green Belt Group re SS19 and EXAM 139 - Written Statement – Clive Betts MP – 30th September re Eckington Way published. Agendas for 14th & 15th October also added.
18th September 2025 - EXAM 44A - Statement of Common Ground between SCC and Peak District NPA re Habitat Regulations Assessment published.
17th September 2025 - EXAM 35A - Duty to Cooperate Statement of Common Ground with Natural England Updated September 2025
16th September 2025 - Two new documents submissions from Sheffield City Council published:
EXAM 136 - Green Belt Review – Appraisal of Proposed Additional Site Allocations and Consequential Deletions (August 2025)
EXAM 137 - Citywide Cemetery Plan Report to Committee
12th September 2025 - EXAM 4Bi - Updated Statement of Common Ground between SCC and Historic England re Proposed Additional Sites published.
4th September 2025 - EXAM 45A - Notice for Stage 3 & 4 Hearings published.
19th August 2025 - EXAM 123A - Sport England's response to SCC Position Statement re Sites ES25 and SS01 / SS04 published.
18th August 2025 - EXAM 36A - Updated Statement of Common Ground with National Highways published.
13th August 2025 - EXAM 134 - Statement of Consultation Addendum published.
8th August 2025 - Supporting Documents to accompany the Proposed Additional Sites consultation published on Examination website, together with Stage 3 Hearing Agendas.
4th August 2025 - EXAM 124 - Proposed Additional Sites Consultation Document published.
28th July 2025 - EXAM 123 - SCC Position Statement: Allocation Sites ES25 and SS01/SS04 published.
1st July 2025 - EXAM 122 - Combined Duty to Co-operate Correspondence published.
12th June 2025 - Draft Hearings Programme for Stages 3 and 4 published. Please note the Programme will be refined following the Council's consultation.
29th May 2025 - The Council have commenced a focussed consultation on proposed additional site allocations. Further information on the consultation is available here.
14th March 2025 - EXAM 121 - Action 110 - Housing Growth Delivery Pan 2025 - 2030 published.
4th March 2025 - EXAM 62A - Local Development Scheme - March 2025 published.
28th February 2025 - EXAM 119A - SCC Timeline Update - Feb 2025 published.
19th February 2025 - EXAM 119 - SCC Progress Timeline - December 2024, EXAM 120 - Inspectors' Post Hearings Letter and EXAM 120A - SCC response to Inspectors' Post Hearings Letter published.
21st January 2025 - EXAM 115 - Stage 2 Actions and Proposed Modifications, EXAM 116 - Housing Trajectory December 2024 , EXAM 117 - Five Year Housing Land Supply Position Update and EXAM 118 - Sport England Legal Opinion on Abandonment published.
14th January 2025 - EXAM 114 - Responses Received to Post Stage 2 Documents Consultation.
THE INSPECTORS
Planning Inspectors; K Child BSc (Hons) MA MRTPI, D Troy BSc (Hons) MA MRTPI and R Morgan BSc (Hons) MCD MRTPI have been appointed to conduct an Examination into the soundness and legal compliance of the Sheffield Plan.
The Inspectors' task will be to consider the soundness and legal compliance of the submitted Plan, based on the criteria set out in paragraph 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2023 (the Framework) and associated regulations., namely the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the Localism Act 2011 and the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.
The Inspectors will take into account the representations submitted upon the Regulation 19 Draft Plan as far as they relate to soundness considerations. A number of informal debates will take place on the principal matters identified by the Inspector these are termed Hearing Sessions.
At the end of the Examination, the Inspectors will prepare a report to the City Council with precise recommendations, these recommendations may include modifications to the Plan, if such a request is made by the Council.
IAN KEMP - PROGRAMME OFFICER
My role is to act as the point contact for any person who has an interest in the Examination and as a liaison between the Inspector, City Council and Representors. I am an independent Officer of the Examination and work on behalf of the Inspectors to organise and manage the administrative and procedural elements of the Examination process. Any matters that anyone wishes to raise with the Inspectors should be submitted to me in the first instance.
Address: PO Box 241, Droitwich, Worcestershire, WR9 1DW
Email: ian@localplanservices.co.uk
Telephone: 07723009166
GUIDANCE NOTES
Guidance Notes have been prepared by the Inspectors to help people understand the process. Procedural Guidance for Local Plans has also been produced by the Planning Inspectorate, together with a short guide aimed at those participating in a local plan examination for the first time.
PROGRAMME AND MATTERS, ISSUES & QUESTIONS
V8 Programme for Stages 3 & 4.
Programme V12 - Previous Hearing Session Programme
Matters, Issues and Questions - Stage 1, Stage 2 & Stage 3
Supplementary Matters, Issues and Questions - Stage 1
& Stage 2
Stage 4 Agenda - 29th September - General Matters Day 1
Stage 4 Agenda - 30th September - General Matters Day 2
Stage 4 Agenda - 1st October - Sites NES 37, NES 38 & NES 39
Stage 4 Agenda - 2nd October - Sites CH 03, CH 04, CH 05 & NES 36 v2 (Updated 16.09.25)
Stage 4 Agenda - 13th October - Sites SES 29 & SES 30 v2 (Updated 10.10.25)
Stage 4 Agenda - 14th October - Sites NWS 30 & NWS 31 v2 (Updated 26.09.25)
Stage 4 Agenda - 15th October - Sites SS19, SWS 18 & SWS 19 v2 (Updated 30.09.25)
Stage 4 Agenda - 21st November - Affordable Housing and Housing and Employment Supply
WRITTEN STATEMENTS
The following Written Statements have been submitted in response to the Inspector's Matters, Issues and Questions: