South Worcestershire Development Plan Review Examination
Latest Update - 26th April 2024
EXAMINATION LATEST NEWS & TIMELINE
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.