Surrey Heath Local Plan Examination
Latest Update - 15th December 2025
EXAMINATION LATEST NEWS & TIMELINE
Hearing Sessions commenced at 10am on Tuesday 16th September 2025 within the Council Chamber of Surrey Heath Borough Council, Surrey Heath House, Knoll Road, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 3HD.
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A Further Hearing Session took place on 8th December to discuss matters related to Wastewater Infrastructure and proposed modifications to Policy DH8 and Net Zero Carbon Requirements, the Hearing Session was held virtually via Microsoft Teams and available to view via the Council's YouTube Channel.
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15th December 2025 - Two notes requested during the hearings published as follows:
29th November 2025 - The following Documents have been received in response to Document ID6:
SHBC 23A - Technical Note – Review of Water Quality Trends at Camberley & Lightwater (SHBC)
REP 4 - Net Zero Comments (HBF)
REP 5 - Virtual Hearing Submission – Wastewater (Environment Agency)
REP 6 - Virtual Hearing Submission – Wastewater (HBF & Savills)
28th October 2025 - ID6 - Inspector Letter re Consultation and Further Hearing and SHBC 24 - Updated position on Net Zero Carbon Viability & Definition with Proposed Modifications to Policies SS3a and DH8 published.​
23rd October 2025 - Notes published following requests from the hearing sessions as follows:
SHBC 26 - Matter 1 – Note on Hard-to-Reach Groups
SHBC 27 - Matter 7 – Note on 5 Year Housing Land Supply – Alternative Scenarios
SHBC 28 - Matter 9 – Note on Timescales for Bringing Forward Land East of Park Street​
22nd October 2025 - SHBC9C - Update on Agreement on Level 2 SFRA between the EA and Surrey Heath BC and SHBC 25 - Matter 8 - Policy HA4 - Update on Mindenhurst published.​
4th October 2025 - SHBC 24 - Note on Net Zero Carbon Viability and Definition published.​
3rd October 2025 - SHBC 23 - Response to Representations from the Environment Agency (REP 1A & 1B) and Thames Water (REP3) published.​
2nd October 2025 - The following Action Point responses have been published:
SHBC 21 - Matter 2 Note: Camberley Town Centre Completions
SHBC 22 - Matter 7.5 Note: Windfall Completions​
19th September 2025 - REP3 - Wastewater Infrastructure Update published.​
18th September 2025 - REP2 - Hart DC – Update on Housing Completions 2024/25 published.​
17th September 2025 - SHBC 20 - Matter 2 Note: Local Plan Supply Scenarios published.​
16th September 2025 - Two notes have been submitted by the Environment Agency in relation to Sewerage Treatment Works Capacity:
Version 4 Programme published bringing participant position up to date.​​
8th September 2025 - SHBC9B - Sequential & Exception Tests for Site Allocations - Flood Map for Planning Addendum published.​
3rd September 2025 - Written Statements received in response to the Inspector's Matters, Issues and Questions published via an Index of Written Statements. ID5 - Hearings Programme V3 also published which brings the current participant position up to date. There have not been any structural changes made to the previous V2 programme concerning the timing of sessions.
26th August 2025 - SHBC18F - SLAA Appendix 6 – Site Delivery republished to correct duplicate year errors in table headers.​ SHBC 9A - Level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Addendum and SHBC 19 - Statement of Common Ground with the Environment Agency (Position Update) also published.​
22nd August 2025 - ID5 - Hearings Programme V2 published. The V2 Programme identifies the invited participants to the hearing sessions. In addition to the identification of participants, please note that the following structural changes have also been made as follows:​​
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Day 2: Clear delineation between morning and afternoon sessions
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Day 3: Matters 4 and 5 switched. Matter 5 will now take place in the morning and Matter 4 in the afternoon.
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Days 4 + 8: Afternoon slot changed from reserve to non-sitting
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Days 6-7: Matter 7.4 moved to the previous day.
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Day 10: Clear delineation between morning and afternoon sessions
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Days 11 & 12: Changed PM slot to ‘reserve session’ and change day 12 to ‘non sitting’.​
21st August 2025 - SHBC18F - SLAA Appendix 6 – Site Delivery republished to correct errors.​
20th August 2025 - Strategic Land Availability Assessment Update 2025 published alongside associated appendices as follows:​
SHBC18 - Strategic Land Availability Assessment Update 2025
SHBC18A - SLAA Appendix 1 - Methodology
SHBC18B - SLAA Appendix 2 – Realistic Candidates for Development
SHBC18C - SLAA Appendix 3 – Discounted Sites
SHBC18D - SLAA Appendix 4 – Sites with Planning Permission
SHBC18E - SLAA Appendix 5 – GTTS Accommodation
SHBC18F - SLAA Appendix 6 – Site Delivery
SHBC18G - SLAA Appendix 7 – Housing Trajectory
SHBC18H - SLAA Appendix 8 – Local Housing Need Calculation
SHBC18I - SLAA Appendix 9 – NPPF 2024 Implications
SHBC18J - SLAA Appendix 10 – 5 Year Housing Land Supply Statement​
18th August 2025 - A number of new documents have been submitted by the Council as follows:​
SHBC11 - Infrastructure Funding Statement 2023-24
SHBC12 - Chobham Neighbourhood Plan 2024 - 2038
SHBC13 - Statement of Common Ground with Homes England
SHBC14 - Camberley Town Centre Position Statement
SHBC15 - Tree Strategy & Action Plan 2023 - 33
SHBC16 - Surrey County Council Tree Strategy 2020
SHBC17A - Surrey Viability Toolkit – Net Zero Carbon Development Report
SHBC17B - Surrey Viability Toolkit – Part A Summary Report
SHBC17C - Surrey Viability Toolkit – Part B Energy Modelling and Technical Feasibility Report
SHBC17D - Surrey Viability Toolkit – Viability Calculator (Excel Document – Direct Download)
SHBC17E - Surrey Viability Toolkit – Surrey Archetypes Costings (Excel Document – Direct Download)
30th July 2025 - SHBC10 - Regulation 24 Notice of Hearings published.​
14th April 2025 - Planning Inspector T Hatfield BA (Hons) MPLAN MRTPI replaces L Crosby MA MRTPI as the Inspector apppointed to examine the Local Plan.​
8th April 2025 - Submission and Evidence Base Documents List updated with the addition of Document D2C5 - Regulation 18 Duty to Co-operate Compliance Statement.​
1st April 2025 - SHBC8 - Sequential and Exception Test for Site Allocations and SHBC9 - Level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment published.​
26th March 2025 - SHBC6A - Indoor & Built Facilities Study - Strategy & Action Plan and SHBC7 - Water Cycle Study - Stage 2 published.​
17th March 2025 - SHBC6 - Indoor & Built Facilities Study and SHBC2A - Schedule of Proposed Changes to Policies Map published.​
24th February 2025 - SHBC5 - Local Development Scheme - February 2025 published.​
13 February 2025 - The Council's response to the Inspector's Initial Questions on Housing matters have been published together with an updated Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment. (See Examination Documents List SHBC1B - 1D & SHBC4 - 4K)​
24 January 2025 - SHBC1A - Council's Response to Inspector's Initial Questions (ID1) and SHBC3 - Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment published.​
17 January 2025 - SHBC 2 - Council's Schedule of Proposed Main Modifications following Inspector's Letter (ID2) published.​
16 January 2025 - SHBC 1 - Council's Initial Response to Inspector's Initial Questions (ID1) published.​
15 January 2025 - ID2 - Inspector's Letter to SHBC regarding Modifications published.​
7 January 2025 - Document ID1 - Inspector's Initial Questions to the Council published.​
18 December 2024 - Planning Inspector L Crosby MA MRTPI appointed to hold an independent examination of the Surrey Heath Local Plan.
10 December 2024 - Surrey Heath Local Plan submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for Examination.
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THE INSPECTOR
Planning Inspector; T Hatfield BA (Hons) MPLAN MRTPI has been appointed to undertake an independent examination into the soundness and legal compliance of the Surrey Heath Local Plan.
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The Inspector's 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.
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The Inspector will take into account the representations submitted upon the Regulation 19 Draft Plan as far as they relate to soundness and legal compliance considerations. A number of informal debates will take place on the principal matters identified by the Inspector. These are termed Hearing Sessions.
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Following the Hearing Sessions there may be a further period of public engagement on the Modifications, or changes, that the Inspector is recommending to the Local Plan. The Inspector will then issue a final Report to the Borough Council including a final list of Modifications.
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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, Local Planning Authority and Representors. ​I am an independent Officer of the Examination and work on behalf of the Inspector to organise and manage the administrative and procedural elements of the Examination process. ​Any matters that anyone wishes to raise with the Inspector 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 Inspector to establish the arrangements for 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.