Wolverhampton Local Plan Examination
Latest Update - 9th October 2025
EXAMINATION LATEST NEWS & TIMELINE
Stage 1 Hearing Sessions will commence at 10am on Tuesday 16th December 2025 within Committee Room 3 at the Civic Centre, St Peter's Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SH. Key Documents for Stage 1 have been published as follows:
ID 2 - Guidance Notes these help to explain the administrative and procedural arrangements for the Examination and include key dates for the Examination process.
ID 3 - Inspectors’ Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) The MIQs set out the areas the Inspectors wish to explore during the Examination and will form the basis for any further written submissions and / or discussions at the hearing sessions.
ID 4 - Hearings Programme V1 This is the current timetable for the hearing sessions. It may be subject to change but the website will be kept up to date with the latest version.
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9 October 2025 - WCC 6 - Regulation 24 Notice of Hearings published.
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2 October 2025 - Stage 1 Key Documents published.​
3 September 2025 - Council's responses to the Inspectors' Initial Questions published:​
WCC 1 - Spatial Strategy Topic Paper
WCC 2 - Housing Topic Paper
WCC 3 - Gypsy & Traveller Accommodation Topic Paper
WCC 4 - Employment Land Topic Paper
WCC 4A - Employment Land Topic Paper – Appendix 1
WCC 5 - Duty to Co-operate Topic Paper
WCC 5A - Duty to Co-operate Topic Paper - Appendices​
20 June 2025 - ID1 - Inspectors' Initial Questions to City Council published.​
6 May 2025 - The Submission Documents List has been updated with the addition of document TR1e an appendix to the Black Country Local Plan Transport Modelling Report. The table of Regulation 19 responses has also been updated with an updated response from Walsall Council.
​EXAM1 - Shropshire Council - Duty to Co-operate Letter to WCC also published.​
28 March 2025 - Planning Inspectors Y Wright BSc (Hons) DIPT&CP MSc DMS MRTPI and V Lucas LLB (Hons) MCD MRTPI have been appointed to hold an independent Examination of the Wolverhampton Local Plan.
7 March 2025​ - Wolverhampton Local Plan submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for independent Examination.​​
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THE INSPECTORS
Planning Inspectors Y Wright BSc (Hons) DIPT&CP MSc DMS MRTPI and V Lucas LLB (Hons) MCD MRTPI have been appointed to hold an independent Examination of the Wolverhampton Local Plan.
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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.
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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 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 Inspectors are recommending to the Local Plan. The Inspectors will then issue a final Report to the City 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 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.