Local Plan updates – February 2019

Ashford – On the 2nd January Ashford Borough Council received the Inspector’s report on the Local Plan 2030.  This brings to a close the examination and allows the Council to progress the Local Plan to adoption.

Aylesbury Vale – The Council has received the Inspector’s response to the points raised in their letter following the publication of his Interim findings. The Council is now finalising its onward timetable including when the proposed modifications to the Plan will be published for public consultation.

Basildon – Consultation on the Revised Publication Local Plan has closed, and responses are now being processed. All the representations received will be collated and a Statement of Issues will be produced and submitted alongside the Revised Publication Local Plan and all supporting documents to the Government, and sent to the Planning Inspector for consideration as part of the Examination in Public. It is the Council’s aim to do this by the end of March 2019.

Bexley – The Council is currently preparing the Local Plan’s preferred approach policies. Consultation on preferred approach to Local Plan policies was due to take place in January 2019 but has not been announced yet.

Braintree – The Section 1 Local Plan is currently subject to a joint examination by an inspector. The examination has been paused while further work is carried out on the evidence base and Sustainability Appraisal.

Brentwood – Brentwood’s Pre-Submission Local Plan was approved. The public consultation will take place between 5 February and 19 March 2019.

Bromley – The Local Plan for Bromley was adopted on 16 January 2019.

Broxbourne –The Council has received the Inspector’s Post Hearings Advice and will now consider how the Plan could be modified accordingly.

Cambridge and East Cambs – Following the hearings, the Inspector found the submitted Local Plan to be sound subject to modifications. The Inspector will now contact the Council, via the Programme Officer, to progress the schedule of main modifications and any other necessary related work. The main modifications will be subject to full public consultation.

Castle Point – The New Local Plan 2018 was reviewed by Council in November 2018. The Council resolved to not proceed with the Pre-Publication Local Plan 2018, and is now in discussions with MHCLG in regards to the next steps.

Central Beds – The hearings part of the examination of the Local Plan are expected to commence in Spring 2019.

Chelmsford – The Independent Examination hearing sessions took place in November and December 2018. The Inspector’s report is expected early this year.

Cherwell – The Inspector will resume the Hearing Sessions on Tuesday 5th February 2019.  The council is also preparing a Part 2 to the Adopted Local Plan 2011-2031 (Part 1) which will contain non-strategic site allocations and development management policies.

Chiltern and South Bucks – The Call for Sites closed on 14 January 2019 and will be used to update the Council’s Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment, which will be part of the evidence base for the new Local Plan. Publication of the Local Plan for consultation prior to its submission for an examination in public is anticipated to be in spring/summer 2019.

Colchester – The Section 1 Local Plan is currently subject to a joint examination by an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The examination has been paused while further work is carried out.

Dacorum – A pre-submission Draft Plan is expected in August 2019 while the Council continues undertaking the Duty to Co-operate and public and stakeholder engagement.

Dartford – Regulation 18 public consultation was held in June/ July 2018. Public involvement in the next stage in drafting the Local Plan is expected in summer 2019.

Dover – Regulation 18 consultation is planned for July/August 2019, with adoption expected in February 2021.

East Herts – East Herts’ District Plan was adopted at an Extraordinary Council on the 23 October 2018.

Elmbridge – On 30 October 2018, a new Local Development Scheme was approved and sets out the work programme up to 2021. Regulation 18 consultation is now planned for August/September 2019.

Epping Forest – The Local Plan has been submitted for approval and Ms. Louise Phillips from the Planning Inspectorate has been appointed to carry out the independent Examination. The hearing sessions will open on Tuesday 12 February and will run until Thursday 23 May 2019.

Epsom and Ewell – Pre-Submission Public Consultation is planned for late 2019.

Folkestone and Hythe – The Council submitted their Places and Policies Local Plan to the Secretary of State on the 28th September 2018 for independent examination. The Planning Inspectorate has appointed Mr Jameson Bridgwater to oversee the examination process.

Gravesham – Local Development Scheme was planned for Stage Two of Reg 18 consultation for November and December 2018, but it has not been announced yet.

Guildford – Following the public consultation on the proposed main modifications to the plan held in autumn 2018, the Inspector requested a further hearing to discuss the housing requirement arising from the latest household projections, the implications for the additional sites that were included in the main modifications, and the way forward. This hearing will be held on 16-17^th February and the council hopes the plan will be adopted soon afterwards, though it may be delayed until after the May 2019 elections depending on how quickly the Inspector turns it around.

Harlow – The Harlow Local Development Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for examination in public on 19 October 2018. David Reed BSc DipTP DMS MRTPI has been appointed by the Secretary of State to undertake the independent examination of the Plan. Provisionally the Examination hearing sessions will be held between 26 March and 4 April 2019.

Havering – Following the hearings which took take place between the 9th and 19th of October 2018, the examination was suspended to allow the Council to complete the required additional work. The reconvened examination is due to take place on Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 May. The inspector expects to advise of revised matters and issues and guidance notes by 16 April.

Hertsmere – Consultation on ‘potential housing and employment locations’ closed on 20 December 2018. Publication of Draft Local Plan is expected later in the year.

Maidstone – New Local Plan was formally adopted at Full Council on 25 October 2017. The Council is already preparing its review, with a Regulation 18 – scoping/options consultation planned for summer 2019.

Medway – The council published updated Local Development Scheme in December 2018. Regulation 19 – Publication of draft plan is planned for Summer 2019.

Milton Keynes – The Council held a six-week period of public consultation to provide an opportunity to comment on the schedule of proposed main modifications to the emerging local plan between 31 October and 12 December 2018. It has now sent all the responses to the planning inspector and is awaiting the inspector’s report, which it hopes to receive shortly (original expectation was mid-January but not yet received). The councils intends to adopt the plan around March 2019.

Mole Valley – Reg. 18 Preferred Options consultation to take place in June 2019 (delayed by May 2018 local elections), and Reg. 19 in Winter 2019/20.

North Hertfordshire – Following the hearing sessions into the Local Plan, the Inspector published his proposed Main Modifications to the plan and the accompanying Sustainability Appraisal. Cabinet approved the Main Modifications to the Local Plan on 10th December 2018.  The consultation on these is running from 3rd January to 14th February 2019.

Oxford City – The consultation on Draft Plan Regulation 19 ran until 28th December 2018. The aim is to submit the plan for examination in March 2019.

Reigate and Banstead – Following submission of the draft Development Management Plan in May, examination hearings ran until 9^th November 2018. The council made the amendments requested and heard back from the inspector on 18th January with a letter setting out the suggested main modifications. A public consultation on them will take place in the near future, likely February 2019.

Rochford – Preferred Options Document public consultation (Regulation 18) is planned for October/November 2019.

Runnymede – The Council submitted the Runnymede Local Plan to the Secretary of State on 31st July. Hearing sessions took place in November 2018, with Stage 2 hearings set to commence 5th February.

Sevenoaks – The council is consulting on the Regulation 19 Proposed Submission Version of the Local Plan until 3^rd February 2019. The plan will be submitted to the Government’s Planning Inspector in Spring 2019.

Southend-on-Sea – Council intends to undertake consultation on Local Plan Issues and Options in Spring 2019.

South Northamptonshire – The Council submitted the Part 2 Local Plan to the Secretary of State on 22 January 2019. The Planning Inspectorate will now appoint an Inspector who will conduct the examination into the soundness of the submitted plan.

South Oxfordshire – Latest draft version of plan was approved at Council on 20 December 2018. The council is undertaking a Regulation 19 consultation from 7 January to 18 February 2019, with a view to submit to the Secretary of State in March 2019.

Spelthorne – The Council invited comments on the draft Site Selection Methodology, with the consultation finishing 28 January 2019. Consultation on Preferred Options (also Reg. 18) is scheduled for June-July 2019.

St Albans – Reg. 19 consultation ran until 17th October 2018. All valid representations are now being considered by the Council with the aim to submit for independent public examination in March 2019.

Stevenage – Still awaiting the secretary of state’s permission to move forward with its local plan following last November’s holding direction, after concerns were raised by Stevenage Tory MP Stephen McPartland, including over proposals to regenerate Stevenage’s train station and town centre.

Surrey Heath – The Draft Surrey Heath Local Plan Issues and Options/Preferred Options Consultation finished on 30th July 2018, and the Pre-submission Consultation is scheduled for June 2019.

Swale – The Council has recently published its Local Development Scheme which sets out the timetable for preparing the next Local Plan, with plans to hold Reg. 18 consultation in Oct – Dec 2019.

Tandridge – The Council submitted its local plan to the Planning Inspectorate for examination on Friday 18 January 2019. The Inspector has not been appointed yet.

Tendring – Tendring, Braintree and Colchester’s Local Plan share an identical Section 1, which was considered through a joint examination in public in 2018. Following an agreement after this to continue work on the proposals, the councils expect to complete further evidence and a new sustainability appraisal by Feb/March 2019 and public consultation will follow in June/July 2019, with the enquiry likely to take place in late 2019. Tendring-specific policies and allocations can be found within Section 2 of the Local Plan, which will be finalised following Section 1 and is expected to be submitted in Spring 2020.

Thanet – The Council submitted the draft Local Plan to the Secretary of State on 30th October 2018 for independent examination. Independent Inspectors have been appointed and sent Initial Questions for Examination to the council on 17^th December, to which the council responded on 11 January. Hearing dates are potentially scheduled for April/May 2019.

Three Rivers – Potential Sites Consultation ran between 26 October and 7 December 2018. Publication stage is planned for Autumn 2019.

Thurrock – Reg. 18 (Issues and Options Stage 2: Spatial Options and Sites) took place in July 2018. Reg. 19 was planned for September 2019 but has been delayed following the publication of the revised NPPF.

Tonbridge and Malling – The Reg. 19 consultation ran until 19th November 2018 and the council submitted its local plan to the secretary of state on 23rd January 2019. An inspector will now be appointed.

Tunbridge Wells – Preferred Options Reg. 18 consultation is completed. Consultation on a Pre-Submission Local Plan (Reg. 19) will take place from 30^th March 2020.

Uttlesford – Consultation on the Addendum of Focussed Changes to the Regulation 19 Local Plan ran until 27 November 2018. The plan was submitted on 18 January 2019 to the Secretary of State and Inspectors have been appointed to carry out an independent examination.

Vale of White Horse – Hearings for the Local Plan 2031 Part 2 closed in September 2018 and the inspector outlined suggested main modifications on 19^th December. Cabinet will consider the report of modifications on 1^st February and they will go to Full Council on 13^th February. Public consultation on the modifications is set for 18^th February to 1^st April.

Watford – Issues and Options consultation ran from Friday 7 September to Friday 19 October. First draft local plan is expected in Autumn 2019.

Waverley – The council is completing additional work on the Local Plan Part 2 and it is expected that the Reg. 19 Consultation will take place in June/July 2019, with submission in Winter 2019.

Welwyn Hatfield – Stage 5 of the hearing sessions took place on 6-7th November 2018. The Stage 6 hearing sessions which were provisionally set for early December 2018 are now likely to take place in Autumn 2019. Following a request from the Inspector, the council is currently exploring if there is any scope for additional housing sites to be identified to help meet the OAN – the submitted plan allocates land for just over 12,000 homes, although 16,000 new homes are needed. The deadline to the further call for sites is 4 February 2019.

Woking – Site Allocations DPD consultation (Reg. 19) ran until 17 December 2018 and submission to Secretary of State is expected in June/July 2019.

Wycombe – Submitted for public examination in March 2018 and the final scheduled hearing session took place on September 26th. The modifications for the consultation are expected to be published shortly (originally expected January 2019), and the Inspector indicated she would provide her report to the Council by 28 March 2019.