Local Plan examination process

The Planning Inspectorate, on behalf of the Secretary of State, has appointed Paul Clark MA MRTPI MCMI as the Planning Inspector to conduct the Independent Examination of OPDC’s Local Plan.

OPDC has appointed Charlotte Glancy, of Banks Solutions to act as the Programme Officer for our Local Plan Independent Examination.

The Programme Officer deals with procedural, administrative and programming matters for the Independent Examination. They should be the first point of contact for any person or organisation that has fed into the previous public consultations and will liaise between OPDC, the Planning Inspector and participants taking part in the hearings.

Correspondence or queries relating to the examination process can be directed to the Programme Officer:

• by post: c/o Banks Solutions, 80 Lavinia Way, East Preston, West Sussex, BN16 1DD
• via email
• by phone: 07519 628064 or 01903 776601.

The indicative timeframe is provided below and has been updated in response to the Inspector’s Interim Findings and the latest government COVID-19 guidance.

Further information on the examination process can be found in the supporting document ‘Procedural Practice in the Examination of Local Plans’ and in the Planning Inspectorate’s guidance regarding COVID-19.

You can also view the Planning Inspectorate’s Privacy Notice and OPDC’s Privacy Policy.

The Planning Inspector assesses whether the Local Plan has been prepared in accordance with the legal and procedural requirements such as the Duty to Cooperate and whether it is ‘Sound’. This will include consideration as to whether the Local Plan is:

• positively prepared – the plan should be prepared based on a strategy which seeks to meet objectively assessed development and infrastructure requirements, including unmet requirements from neighbouring authorities where it is reasonable to do so and consistent with achieving sustainable development
• justified – the plan should be the most appropriate strategy, when considered against the reasonable alternatives, based on proportionate evidence
• effective – the plan should be deliverable over its period and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic priorities
• consistent with national policy – the plan should enable the delivery of sustainable development and must be in general conformity with the Mayor’s London Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework and National Planning Practice Guidance.