Read the latest news and updates about the District Plan Examination.
The Inspector’s report was received on 8 September 2022 and the examination is now closed. The Inspector’s report is available here.
Most recent updates appear at the bottom of the page
| Index | Date | Latest news and updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Dec 2017 |
The hearing sessions timetable has been revised to include an additional 3 days from 23 January - 25 January inclusive for Session 21 Air Quality and the continuation of Matters 6 and 7. Additional reserve sessions have also been programmed for 19 - 22 March in case these are needed. The entire revised timetable can be seen under the Hearing Sessions tab and each individual week can also be viewed under the appropriate week number. |
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| ED15 | 20 Oct 2017 |
Following a number of comments that not enough time had been set aside in the hearings session timetable for discussion of issues, the Inspector has agreed to re-schedule the hearings sessions. A revised Programme has been issued. As a result of the changes to the timetable, the deadlines for hearing statements has been adjusted are as follows: Weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4: Deadline for hearing statements: 5.00pm, Friday 3 November 2017 Weeks 5 and 6: Deadline for hearing statements: 5.00pm, Friday 12 January 2018 |
| ED14 | 19 Oct 2017 | The North Hertfordshire Transport Strategy October 2017 has just been submitted to the examination and can be viewed at ED14 in the examination documents. |
| 25 Sep 2017 |
The dates for the hearing sessions have now been confirmed and the Inspector has issued his Programme, Matters and Issues and Guidance Notes for the hearing sessions. |
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| ED7 | Sep 2017 |
SoCG Between NHDC and St Albans District Council (PDF, 237KB) |
| ED8 | 24 Sep 2017 | |
| 12 Jan 2018 | The Council has submitted a note to the Inspector on Air Quaility as well as a number of reference documents which will be relevant for the Air Quaility hearing session on 23 January. All the documents (ED62 to ED70) can be viewed in the Examination Documents. | |
| 14 Feb 2018 | The delayed hearing session covering Matter 11 Oaklands, Offley, Pirton and Preston has been re-scheduled for the afternoon of Thursdsy 28 February. A revised Programme has been issued. | |
| 23 Feb 2018 | Three supplementary Statements of Common Ground have been posted on the website which are relevant to the hearing session being held on Monday 26 February. ED106 between NHDC and Picture SRL relating to GA2 Land North East of Stevenage. ED107 between NHDC and Croudace relating to site GA1 Land North of Stevenage. ED108 between NHDC and Gladman Developments relating to land at Knebworth. |
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| 28 Feb 2018 |
The hearing sessions timetable has been revised to include an additional 2 days. The continuation of Matter 10 Baldock (including Bygrave) Sites BA2, BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7 and BA11 and Matter 10 Luton & Cockernhoe, Inspector’s matters and issues 10.28 Green Belt will be held on Monday 26 March 9.00 am start. The hearing session for Knebworth will now be held on the morning of Thursday 27 March. The hearing sessions on 26 and 27 March will be held in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, Gernon Road Letchworth Garden City, SG6 3JF. The hearing sessions reserve days of 19th - 22nd March inclusive have been cancelled. |
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| 24 Mar 2018 | An addtional hearing session has been scheduled for the afternoon of Tuesday 27 March to examine the proposed site allocations in Hitchin. This session will follow immediately after the hearing session examining heritage assets associated with the proposed site allocation at Great Ashby GA2. | |
| 10 Apr 2018 | At the end of the hearing sessions on 27 March the Inspector set out the next steps in the EiP of the Local Plan. A note has now been prepared and this can be viewed in the examination documents ED130. | |
| 22 May 2018 | An extra sheet (ED14A) relating to the NHDC Transport Strategy (ED14) has been published. Both documents should be read together and can be viewed in the examination douments. | |
| 6 June2018 | The Inspector has published a note (ED132) to update his earlier note (ED130). The updated note concerns the timings for his invitation to representors to submit statements on documents which they have not yet had the opportunity to comment on in writing. The updated note can be seen in the examination documents. | |
| 23 Jul 2018 | The Inspector has issued an update to his earlier note concerning the next steps in the EiP of the North Herts Local Plan. This document can be viewed in the Examination Documents (ED133). | |
| 24 Jul 2018 | Audio recordings for most of the Local Plan Hearing Sessions are now available from the Hearings Timetable web page. Due to a technical fault there are some sessions where there is no recording available, these are highlighted on the page. | |
| 12 Oct 2018 | An update on the Examination is now available here or in the Examination Documents reference ED134. | |
| 30 Oct 2018 | The Inspector has issued an update concerning the next steps for the Examination. This can be viewed in the Examination Documents (ED160 and ED160A). | |
| 19 Nov 2018 | The documents prepared by the Council in response to the Actions arising out of the Hearing Sessions are all now available and can be viewed under the Examination Document tab references ED137 to ED158. | |
| 2019 |
Consultation on the Main Modifications and evidence base documents submitted by the Council during the examination is now taking place. Information can be accessed on the Main Modifications and Additional Work page or via the Main Modifications and Additional Work Produced by the Council tab on the Local Plan Examination page. |
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| 23 May 2019 | The Inspector is currently reviewing and considering the representations made in response to the recent consultation on draft Main Modifications, of which there are many, and evidence produced during and after the hearings. Only once he has completed this will he be in a position to indicate the way forward for the Examination and the likely timescales. | |
| ED166 | 11 Jul 2019 |
The Inspector has written to the Council to set out the next stages of the examination. The letter can be viewed in the Examination Documents (ED166). |
| ED167 | 1 Aug 2019 |
The Council have responded to the Inspector’s letter of 11 July (ED166) and their reply can be seen at ED167 in the examination documents. |
| ED168 | 9 Aug 2019 | The Inspector has written to the Council to set out a number of additional questions. The letter can be viewed in the Examination Documents (ED168). |
| ED169 | 1 Oct 2019 | The Council’s response to the Inspector’s letter of 9 August 2019 (ED168) can be viewed at ED169 on the Examination Documents page. |
| ED170-ED176 | 9 Dec 2019 |
The Council’s further responses to the Inspector’s letters 9 July (ED166) and 9 August (ED168) can be viewed in the Examination Documents at ED170-ED176. The Inspector is not inviting or accepting comments on these documents until he has prepared his Matters, issues and Questions for the additional hearing sessions. He is intending to have these available in late January, when the Programme Officer will contact all those who responded at Regulation 19 and/or to the Main Modifications consultation, to give them information on the submission of hearing statements, the Hearing sessions Programme and details of how to register to take part in the hearing sessions. |
| ED177 | 10 Dec 2019 | The Council have submitted a further document in response to Q6 of the Inspector’s letter of 9 August (ED168). The document, which includes a Statement of Common Ground between NHDC and Hertfordshire County Council covering education matters, can be viewed in the Examination documents at ED177. |
| ED178 | 17 Jan 2020 | The Council have submitted an updated 5 Year Housing Land Supply Paper which can be viewed in the Examination documents at ED178. |
| 22 Jan 2020 | Following the consultation on the Main Modifications and associated documents, the Inspector has arranged dates for further hearing sessions which will take place during week commencing 16 and week commencing 23 March 2020. More details about the Further Hearing Sessions | |
| 2 Mar 2020 |
Hearing statements submitted in response to the Inspector’s MIQ’s for the March hearing sessions are now available on the Hearing Sessions page. There may be additional hearing statements uploaded following the two further deadlines for hearing statements of 8th and 12th March. |
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| 2 Mar 2020 | Please see the Further Hearings sessions page for information on two additional Hearing days to be held in April. | |
| 13 Mar 2020 | The Inspector has cancelled the hearing sessions scheduled to take place during w/c 16 March, w/c 23 March and 7/8 April due to the situation with COVID-19. The Inspector's note is available in the Examination Documents at ED184. | |
| 18 Mar 2020 | The hearing statements which had the deadline of 12 March have now been uploaded and can be viewed on the Further Hearing Sessions page. | |
| ED185 | 6 May 2020 | NHDC has set out its position concerning the Green Belt evidence informing the Local Plan following the recent judgement in Supreme Court. (Samuel Smilth Old Brewery and others v North Yorkshire County Council). The Council's note can viewed in the Examination documents at ED185. |
| ED190 | 8 Jul 2020 |
The Inspector, together with Inspector Birkinshaw and Inspector Hockenhall who are examining the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan, have written to the Councils concerning the 2018 Household Projections and Luton's unmet housing need. Their letter can be viewed in the Examination Documents at ED190. |
| 11 Aug 2020 | The Council have replied to the Inspectors' letter concerning the 2018 based household projections and their response can be viewed at ED191A and ED191B in the Examination documents. | |
| 17 Aug 2020 | The March hearing sessions which were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic have now been re-scheduled to commence on Monday 28 September, and will be held 'virtually'. For additional information on the hearing sessions please see the Further Hearing Session page. | |
| 15 Sep 2020 | The updated Participants list for the hearing sessions commencing on 28 September is now available on the hearing sessions page. | |
| 25 Sep 2020 | The Inspector has written to the Council concerning the hearing session starting on 28 September and his letter can be viewed in the Examination Documents at ED198. | |
| 25 Sep 2020 | The Council have replied to the Inspector's letter concerning the hearing sessions, and this can be viewed at ED199 in the Examination Documents. | |
| 25 Sep 2020 | The Inspector has written to the Council to confirm that the Hearing Sessions will not open on Monday 28 September. The letter can be viewed at ED200 in the Examination Documents. | |
| 2 Oct 2020 | The Inspector and Council are corresponding on the timings for the postponed hearings and this will continue to be posted in the Examination Documents as it becomes available. | |
| 6 Oct 2020 |
All the hearing sessions scheduled to be held over three weeks commencing on 28 September have been postponed pending the outcome of the North Hertfordshire Extraordinary Council Meeting. To see the correspondence on this between the Inspector and the Council please see the Examination Documents ED198-ED202. |
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| 12 Oct 2020 | Following the outcome of the North Hertfordshire Extraordinary Council on 8 October, the hearing sessions have now been re-scheduled to commence at 9.30am on Monday 23 November. | |
| 16 Oct 2020 | The Council have submitted their proposed Main Modifications relating to the recent use Classes Order and these can be viewed in the Examination Documents at ED203 or on the Further Hearing Sessions 2020 page. | |
| 23 Nov 2020 | The Agents for Ashill have written to the Inspector to set out the position in relation to site allocation CD5 Land South of Heath Lane, Codicote. Their letter can be viewed at ED206 in the Examination Documents. | |
| 25 Nov 2020 | The Inspector will not be discussing Barkway or site BK3 at the Hearing Session for Matter 25 on 3 December or at the Matter 26 Hearing session on 8 December. For further information please see the note from the Council and the Inspector's note in the Examination Documents at ED210 and ED211 respectively. | |
| 7 Dec 2020 | The Council have submitted Further Proposed Main Modifications to the Use Classes Order which will be discussed at the Hearing Session for Matter 29 on Wednesday 9 December at 2pm. | |
| 8 Dec 2020 | Following the hearing session for Matter 22 the Council's note requested by the Inspector on the Housing Supply and the buffer is now available at ED215 in the Examination Documents. | |
| 20 Dec 2020 | Hearing sessions have been arranged for 1 and 2 February 2021 to discuss the further Main Modifications put forward by the Council. For further details please see the Further Hearing Sessions 2021 page. | |
| 6 Nov 2020 | Please see the Examination Documents (ED222-ED224) for documents submitted following the hearing sessions in response to requests from the Inspector. | |
| 22 Jan 2021 | The Hearing Statements for the February 2021 Hearing Sessions have been uploaded and can be viewed on the Further Hearing Sessions 2021 page. | |
| March 2021 | A schedule of the Inspector's proposed Further Main Modifications is available on the Further Main Modifications page. Further documents and information on the consultation will be added to this page once available. | |
| July 2021 | Consultation has finished on the Further Proposed Modifications. The Council is processing the representations and will be sending them to the Inspector shortly. | |
| 22 July 2021 |
The representations received in response to the recent consultation have now been processed by the Council and are available for interested parties to view via the online portal. The Inspector will be reading and considering all the representations that have been submitted. As things stand, and depending on the points raised in the representaitons, it is his intention to issue his Final Report to the Council in early Autumn. |
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| 6 Sept 2021 | It has been brought to the Council's attention that there were some representations missing from the report published in July 2021. These representations were delayed at the Councils mail processing centre but they have now all been processed. A revised report has been published, ED233 and the representations are available to view online. | |
| 17 Sept 2021 | The Inspector is currently reviewing the responses to the consultation on the Main Modifications, and depending on the points raised in the representations, it is anticipated that his Final Report will be issued during November 2021. | |
| 15 Nov 2021 | Recent correspondence from the Council concerning the Inspector's Final Report, together with the Inspector's reply can be viewed in the Examination Documents at ED234A and ED234B. | |
| 28 March 2022 | The Council has recently updated the software that is used by the whole organisation to manage correspondence. Following the upgrade some links to previous consultation responses to the Local Plan are currently not working on the consultation portal. The Council are working with their IT team to resolve this issue as soon as possible so that all representations are available to view again. This does not affect the work of the Inspector who has been provided with access to all the representations throughout the Examination. | |
| 28 June 2022 | The Inspector’s fact check report has now been sent to the Council. They have arranged with the Planning Inspectorate that any comments from the Council will be returned to the Inspector before 26 July 2022. Following this, the Inspector’s Final Report will then be sent to the Council as soon as possible. Receipt of the Final Report marks the formal end of the Examination and the Council will then make arrangements to take a decision on the adoption of the Local Plan. | |
| 8 September 2022 | The Inspector’s report was received on 8 September 2022 and the examination is now closed. The Inspector’s report is available here. |
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| 3 November 2022 | Following the Extraordinary Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 2 November approval was granted for the Local Plan and Inspector's Report to be presented to an Extraordinary Full Council meeting on Tuesday 8 November for debate on adoption. |