South Worcestershire Development Plan Review Examination
Latest Update - 8 May 2025
EXAMINATION LATEST NEWS & TIMELINE
The current programme for hearing sessions has now concluded. In due course the Inspectors will write to the Councils to set out their views on an interim basis. Additional information is expected in relation to the Site Allocation at Mitton in the Summer and further consideration may need to be given to this element of the Plan thereafter.
Live-Streaming
The SWDPR Hearings are live-streamed to YouTube and available to watch via this link.
8th May 2025 - EXAM 93 - Suggested Revisions to Proposed Modifications to SWDPR 28 from the Cotswolds and Malvern Hill National Landscapes published together with EXAM 94 - LPA Note re SWDPR 37 relating to Air Quality.
2nd May 2025 - EXAM 90 - Statement of Common Ground between LPAs and Natural England re Policy SWDPR 07 - Green Infrastructure (Updated) published.
29th April 2025 - EXAM 89A - Mitigation Plan for Lawn Farm 2 published.
24th April 2025 - EXAM 34 - Hearings Programme updated. EXAM 91 - Matter 16 Policy Running Order and EXAM 92 - Update Statement of Common Ground re Transport & Curlew Surveys for Mitton published.
23rd April 2025 - EXAM 90 - Statement of Common Ground between LPAs and Natural England re Policy SWDPR 07 - Green Infrastructure published.
10th April 2025 - EXAM 89 - Map showing Welland NDP allocation, MHNL, MHT landownership, Local Green Space and SWDPR proposed allocation (updated 10th April) published.
4th April 2025 - EXAM 87 - Matter 11 Action Response: RLCE Allocations and AONB Environs Study published, together with EXAM 88 - Cales Farm Decision Notice and EXAM 88A - Cales Farm Section 106 Agreement.
1st April 2025 - EXAM 85 - Appeal Decision - Land South of Stourport Road, Great Witley published along with EXAM 86 - Lad at Hartlebury - Site Appraisal Layout.
28th March 2025 - EXAM 84 - Note on the Deliverability of the Travelling Showpersons Site at Rushwick published.
27th March 2025 - EXAM 83 - Statement of Common Ground between LPAs and Mses Massingham & Cooper re The Daves, Cropthorne published.
26th March 2025 - EXAM 82 - Statement of Common Ground between LPAs and Malvern Hills National Landscape Team published.
20th March 2025 - EXAM 34 - Hearings Programme updated. Please note there have been some changes to the timing of some sessions. Matter 14: Wychavon Allocations will not commence before 2pm on the 26th March. Matter 16: Transport, Green Infrastructure, Historic Environment, Tourism, Leisure and Community Facilities has been brought forward from Wednesday 30th April to Tuesday 29th April. Two further Statements of Common Ground have also been published:
EXAM 80 - Statement of Common Ground between LPAs and Historic England
EXAM 81 - Statement of Common Ground between LPAs and Natural England re Mitton
14th March 2025 - Suite of documents referred to during the Matter 9 discussions in relation to Throckmorton published, comprising of:
EXAM 79A - Letter from Evesham Vale Growers.
EXAM 79B - Letter from Pinnacle International Capital
EXAM 79C - Letter from Worcestershire County Council
12th March 2025 - WS8/5A - Matter 8 Speaking Note from Kevin Poole published.
10th March 2025 - EXAM 78 - Statement of Common Ground between LPAs and Gloucestershire County Council published.
7th March 2025 - EXAM 77 - Matter 2 Action Point - Distribution of Development across the Settlement Hierarchy , EXAM 34 - Latest Hearings Programme and an Additional Written Statement for Matter 16 from Tetlow King on behalf of Abbey College published.
4th March 2025 - EXAM 73 - LPA Scott Schedule re Disputed Delivery on Sites published. In addition three further Statements of Common Ground have also been published comprising of:
3rd March 2025 - EXAM 72 - Statement of Common Ground between Combined Landowner Group for Worcestershire Parkway and EXAM 34 - Update Hearings Programme published.
27th February 2025 - Two documents have been updated. EXAM 1G - Briefing Note - Malvern Hills Act and a New Local Development Scheme has been agreed - EXAM 53.
26th February 2025 - EXAM 71 - Statement of Common Ground between LPAs, Worcestershire County Council and Ainscough Strategic Land re SWDPR 57 - Land at Hanbury Road published.
25th February 2025 - EXAM 70 - Statement of Common Ground with Barberry Developments - Land at Bluebell Farm, Earls Croome published.
24th February 2025 - Two further Statements of Common Ground published (EXAM 68 - LPAs, County Council & Barwood Strategic Land re Rushwick and EXAM 69 - Stratford-on-Avon District Council)
21st February 2025 - EXAM 34 - Hearings Programme updated.
19th February 2025 - Written Statements Index updated with submissions from CPRE Worcestershire.
17th February 2025 - Written Statements received in response to the Inspectors' Matters, Issues and Questions have been published through an Index of Written Submissions.
Additional Statements of Common Ground also published, comprising of:
EXAM 66 - Planning Prospects re Land at Junction of Berkeley Way and Parsonage Way
EXAM 67 - Combined Landowners of Worcestershire Parkway Strategic Growth Area
5th February 2025 - A number of Statements of Common Ground have been submitted and published. See Examination Documents List References EXAM 54 through to EXAM 63.
21st January 2025 - EXAM 51 - Regulation 18 SWDPR , EXAM 52 - Regulation 18 Interactive Policies Map (Link opens to external website) and EXAM 53 - Local Development Scheme - September 2023 published as Examination Documents.
15th January 2025 - EXAM 19J - Councils' Progress Update 15.01.25 published.
8th January 2025 - EXAM 49 - Statement of Common Ground with Redditch Borough Council and EXAM 50 - Statement of Common Ground with Bromsgrove District Council published.
4th January 2025 - A number of new Examination Documents have been uploaded to an updated Examination Documents List
In summary they include information regarding:
Gypsies and Travellers (EXAM 22A)
Five Year Housing Land Supply (EXAM 30A)
C2 Need and Supply (EXAM 37)
First Homes (EXAM 38)
Infrastructure Delivery (EXAM 39 and 40)
Viability (EXAM 41 and 41A)
Transport Modelling (EXAM 42 - 47A)
Statement of Common Ground with National Highways (EXAM 48)
3rd January 2025 - EXAM 34 - Draft Hearings Programme, EXAM 35 - Inspectors' Guidance Notes and EXAM 36 - Inspectors' Matters, Issues and Questions published. EXAM 19H - Councils' Progress Updates 18.12.24 & EXAM 19I - 03.01.25 also published.
2nd January 2025 - EXAM 32 - Areas of Informal Recreation Topic Paper and EXAM 33 - Sustainability Appraisal Addendum concerning Areas of Informal Recreation published.
4th December 2024 - EXAM 19G - Councils' Progress Update 04.12.24 & EXAM 31 - 2019 Village Facilities and Rural Transport Study Update Topic Paper published.
25th November 2024 - EXAM 30 - Inspectors' Note 1: 5 Year Land Supply published.
20th November 2024 - EXAM 19F - Councils' Progress Update 20.11.24 published.
12th November 2024 - EXAM 24A - Updated Housing Trajectory with Buffer and EXAM 29 - Five Year Housing Land Supply Report for Period 2024 - 2029 published.
6th November 2024 - EXAM 19E - Councils' Progress Update 06.11.24 published.
4th November 2024 - EXAM 27A - Email exchanges between LPA and Environment Agency Re EXAM 27 published.
31st October 2024 - EXAM 27 - Mitton Level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment and EXAM 28 - Assessment of Need and Supply of Traveller Pitches and Travelling Showpeople Plots published.
24th October 2024 - A number of new documents have been submitted and published comprising of; EXAM 19D - Councils' Progress Update 23.10.24, EXAM 23 - Housing Topic Paper Update, EXAM 24 - Updated Housing Trajectory, EXAM 25 - Economic Development Needs Assessment Addendum and EXAM 26 - Economic Development Needs Assessment - Topic Paper.
9th October 2024 - EXAM 19C - Councils' Progress Update 09.10.24 published.
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 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.
KEY DATES
31 January 2025 - Deadline for requests to participate in hearing sessions.
11 February 2025 - Deadline for hearing statements.
4 March 2025 - Hearing sessions commence
THE INSPECTORS
Planning Inspectors; P Lewis BA(Hons) MA MRTPI and E Worthington BA(Hons) MTP MUED 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 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.