South Worcestershire Development Plan Review Examination
Latest Update - 3rd October 2024
EXAMINATION LATEST NEWS & TIMELINE
3rd October 2024 - EXAM 19B - Councils' Progress Update 25.09.24 and EXAM 22 - Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment published.
24th September 2024 - EXAM 19 - Inspector Letter to Councils re progress, EXAM 19A - Council's response to EXAM 19, EXAM 20 - Housing Requirement Paper for Designated Neighbourhood Areas and EXAM 21 - Employment Land Monitoring Report 2022 - 23 published.
23rd September 2024 - A number of new Documents have been added to the Examination Documents List comprising of: EXAM 3A - LPA Legal Opinion in response to EXAM 3, EXAM 9B - Latest Progress Update from LPA, EXAM 16 - Review of Curlew at Milton, EXAM 17 - Areas of Informal Recreation, EXAM 18 - Historic Environment Topic Paper & EXAM 18A - Appendix 3 of EXAM 18 Heritage Appraisals.
6th September 2024 - EXAM 15 - LPAs Update on Transport Modelling progress published.
21st August 2024 - EXAM 13 - Statement of Common Ground with Sport England & EXAM 14 - Statement of Common Ground with WCC and Trustees of the Spetchley Estate re Policy SWDPR 61 published.
31st July 2024 - EXAM 9A - LPA Progress Update & EXAM 12 - Matthew Pennycook MP Letter to Planning Inspectorate re Local Plan Examination Progress published.
26th July 2024 - EXAM 11 - Worcestershire Parkway Demand Forecast Report 2021 published.
2nd July 2024 - EXAM 9 - Letter to Inspectors from LPAs re Evidence Base Progress and EXAM 10 - Retail and Town Centres Study 2024 (updates EXAM 4) published.
17th May 2024 - Updates to CD18 - Statement of Consultation and CD20 - Regulation 19 Summary Database published
26th April 2024 - EXAM 6B - Letter from LPA's Providing an Update on Evidence Base Progress & EXAM 8 - Natural England Position Statement re SA54: Milton published.
17th April 2024 - EXAM 7 - Statement of Common Ground Between Councils and Severn Trent published.
2nd April 2024 - Updates to CD18 - Statement of Consultation and CD20 - Regulation 19 Summary Database published.
14th March 2024 - EXAM 6A - Councils' Response to EXAM 6 re Examination Progress and Next Steps published.
19th February 2024 - EXAM 6 - Inspectors' Letter to Council re Examination Progress and Next Steps published.
19th January 2024 - Councils' Responses to the Inspectors' Initial Questions (EXAM 1A to EXAM 1H) and Supplementary Initial Questions (EXAM 2A to EXAM 2D) published. Examination Document List updated.
18th January 2024 - Councils submit Strategic Landscape and Visual Appraisal information for Worcestershire Parkway (EXAM 5) and accompanying figures (EXAM 5A). Examination Documents List updated.
Councils' Explanatory Note: A single methodology was agreed between landscape consultants engaged for the different land interests and used in the carrying out of the SLVA work. Whilst individual land parcels were considered by different consultants, a common approach to the appraisal work allowed for the various ‘chapters’ of the SLVA (one for each land interest) to come together to help inform a sensitive change of land use in the concept plan work. It's important to note that the Spetchley chapter was referenced in an introduction section but an administrative error led to the SLVA chapter for the Spetchley land to be missed from being uploaded to the Reg 19 evidence base page.
12th January 2024 - LPA's submit the South Worcestershire Retail and Town Centres Study - EXAM 4 - 4C. Examination Documents List Updated.
20th December 2023 - EXAM 3 - Inspectors' Letter to Councils re National Planning Policy Updates published.
7th December 2023 - EXAM 2 - Inspectors' Supplementary Initial Questions to Local Planning Authorities published.
17th November 2023 - EXAM 1 - Inspectors' Initial Questions to Local Planning Authorities published.
17th November 2023 - Submission and Evidence Base Document List updated (Document Additions CD24 - 31)
10th October 2023 - Planning Inspectors; P Lewis BA(Hons) MA MRTPI and S Dean MA MRTPI appointed to conduct an Examination into the soundness and legal compliance of the SWDP Review.
27th September 2023 - SWDP Review submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for Examination.
THE INSPECTORS
Planning Inspectors; P Lewis BA(Hons) MA MRTPI and S Dean MA MRTPI have been appointed to undertake an independent examination into the soundness and legal compliance of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (the 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 Local Planning Authorities 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 Inspectors, Local Planning Authorities 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 will be 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.