Wokingham Local Plan Update Examination
Latest Update - 18 December 2025
EXAMINATION LATEST NEWS & TIMELINE
Stage 1 Hearing Sessions took place during the week of 17th November 2025 within Wokingham Borough Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham RG40 1BN. The Inspectors have submitted their Stage 1 Post Hearings Letter, further information regarding the progress of the Examination will be provided in due course..​
​​
18 December 2025​ - ID5 - Inspectors’ Stage 1 Post Hearings Letter published.
​
17 December 2025 - The Council's Responses to hearing submissions published:
WBC 42 - WBC Response to Sequential Test Note (REP 1)
WBC 43 - WBC Response to Viability Reconciliation Note (REP 2)​
1 December 2025 - WBC 6A - Updated Table 18 – Windfall Completions in WBC 6 published.​
26 November 2025 - The following Documents have been published following discussions at the Stage 1 Hearing Sessions:
REP 1 - Boyer for Ashridge Wokingham – Sequential Test Note
14 November 2025 - Updated V3 Programme published reflecting the latest participant position.​
11 November 2025 - WS3/29 - Matter 3 Written Statement from Savills on behalf of Crest Nicholson added to index of written submissions.​
7 November 2025 - An updated V2 Hearings Programme has been published following the Inspectors' consideration of requests to participate in the Stage 1 Hearings. Written Statements received in response to the Inspectors' Matters, Issues and Questions for Stage 1 have also been published via an Index of Written Statements.​
23 October 2025 - At the Inspectors' request, the following documents have been added to the Examination Documents List:
WBC 31 - AWE Off Site Emergency Plan
WBC 32B - Central and Eastern Berkshire Joint Minerals and Waste Plan Policies Map Insert map TA1
WBC 32C - Central and Eastern Berkshire Joint Minerals and Waste Plan Policies Map Insert Map WA3
WBC 32D - Central and Eastern Berkshire Joint Minerals and Waste Plan Policies Map
WBC 33 - Central and Eastern Berkshire Joint Minerals and Waste Plan
WBC 34 - Infrastructure Funding Statement 2023-24
WBC 35 - Medium Term Financial Plan 2025-26
WBC 36 - Natural England Green Infrastructure Standards for England (January 2023)
WBC 37 - Natural England SANG Guidelines (2021)
WBC 38 - Rights of Way Improvement Plan 2020-2030
WBC 39 - South Wokingham SDL Concept Plan – Extract from CD22 Schedule of Proposed Modifications
WBC 40 - Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area Delivery Framework (2009)
WBC 41 - Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area SAMM Agreement (2011)​
5 October 2025 - ​WBC 30 - Regulation 24 Notice of Hearing Sessions published.​
2 September 2025 - The following additional documents have been supplied by the Council:
WBC 25 - Five Year Housing Land Supply Statement as at 31 March 2025
WBC 26 - Employment Land Supply Position Update as at 31 March 2025
WBC 27 - Housing Trajectory – August 2025 (Excel Document – Direct Download)
WBC 28 - Infrastructure Delivery Plan – August 2025
WBC 29 - Loddon Valley Garden Village Financial Viability Assessment​
22 August 2025 - A number of Statements of Common Ground published as follows:​
WBC 21 - Statement of Common Ground with Crest Nicholson – Arborfield Studios SS11
WBC 22 - Statement of Common Ground with Crest Nicholson – Barkham Square SS11
WBC 23 - Statement of Common Ground with Various Parties – Loddon Valley Garden Village SS13
18 June 2025 - WBC 6 - WBC's Response to the Inspectors' Initial Questions published. The response is accompanied by a number of supplementary documents which have been published in the Examination Documents List (See entries WBC 7 - 20)​
12 May 2025 - The Council have written to the Inspectors to request an extension of time to respond to the Initial Questions (document WBC5)​
17 April 2025 - The Inspectors have submitted their Initial Questions to the Council (document ID1)​
31 March 2025 - Two further Statements of Common Ground published as follows:
WBC3 - Statement of Common Ground between WBC and Bracknell Forest Council
WBC4 - Statement of Common Ground between WBC and Environment Agency​
20 March 2025 - Two Statements of Common Ground published as follows:
WBC1 - Statement of Common Ground between WBC and Reading Borough Council
WBC2 - Statement of Common Ground between WBC and National Highways​
6 March 2025 - Planning Inspectors T Hatfield BA(Hons) MPLAN MRTPI and M Philpott BA(Hons) MA MRTPI have been appointed to hold an independent Examination of the Wokingham Local Plan Update.
28 February 2025​ - Wokingham Local Plan submitted to the Inspectorate for Examination.​​
​
​
THE INSPECTORS
Planning Inspectors T Hatfield BA(Hons) MPLAN MRTPI and M Philpott BA(Hons) MA MRTPI have been appointed to undertake an independent examination into the soundness and legal compliance of the Wokingham Local Plan Update.
​
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 December 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 and legal compliance considerations. A number of informal debates will take place on the principal matters identified by the Inspectors. These are termed Hearing Sessions.
​
Following the Hearing Sessions there may be a further period of public engagement on the Modifications, or changes, that the Inspectors are recommending to the Local Plan. The Inspectors will then issue a final Report to the Borough Council including a final list of Modifications.
​
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 Inspectors 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.