Development Plan documents

The Council (Planning Policy Committee, 27th January 2021) has approved the Pre-Submission Draft Local Plan Part 2 for submission to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, under the Town and Country Planning (Local Plans) (England) Regulations 2012, as amended.

Responding to the Local Plan Part 2 consultation

The Local Plan Part 2 was submitted to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Planning Inspectorate) on 29th March 2021.  A Planning Inspector will be appointed in due course to undertake an independent Examination in Public (EiP) for the Local Plan Part 2, which it is anticipated will take place during summer/ autumn 2021.

This was preceded by a procedural consultation, under the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (Regulation 19), as amended.

The Regulation 19 consultation took place from Friday 5th February until Friday 19th March 2021, inclusive

The Pre-Submission Draft Local Plan Part 2 (latest version) is available here.

Further details about the Regulation 19 consultation – the tests of ‘soundness’

The Regulation 19 consultation related to the following statutory requirements:

1. Legal compliance – 2012 Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, as amended; 2004 Environmental Assessment Regulations; Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017; and/ or Human Rights/ equalities legislation
2. Compliance with the statutory Duty to Cooperate – 2011 Localism Act, Section 110; and/ or
3. Soundness

The Local Plan is deemed ‘sound’ if it can be satisfactorily demonstrated that it meets the following tests:

1. Positively prepared – consistent with relevant strategic policies for the area [that is, the Local Plan Part 1; the North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy 2011-2031, adopted July 2016];
2. Justified – an appropriate strategy, taking into account the reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate evidence;
3. Effective – deliverable over the plan period; and
4. Consistent with national policy – enabling the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

Local Plan Part 2 submission documents

The published Local Plan Part 2 is accompanied by a series of statutory supporting submission documents.  Links to these are available below:

• Executive summary – Sustainability Appraisal (explanatory note)
• Sustainability Appraisal report
• Sustainability Appraisal – Non Technical Summary
• Executive summary – Habitat Regulations Assessment
• Habitat Regulations Assessment report
• Executive summary – Equalities Impact Assessment
• Equalities Impact Assessment
• Executive summary – Health Impact Assessment
• Health Impact Assessment
• Statement of consultation (“Regulation 22 statement)

The Local Plan Part 2 is also supported by a range of background information, including existing policies, evidence base and legislative requirements.  Links to all of these are available through the examination Library Index.

Many of the key evidence base documents, including a series of 12 Background Papers, can also be accessed through the Evidence Base web page.

What will happen to my representation?

If you sbumitted a representation through the Regulation 19 consultation, this has been submitted to the Secretary of State for Communities, Housing, Communities and Local Government (together with the Local Plan Part 2 and supporting documentation), for consideration by the appointed Planning Inspector. The next stages in preparing the Plan are as follows:

• March 2021 – submission of Plan to Secretary of State for independent examination;
• Anticipated Late summer 2021 – Examination hearings, chaired by the appointed Planning Inspector.

Redacted versions of representations will be published on the Local Plan examination 2021 web page in due course. 

Preparation of the Local Plan Part 2 requires the Council to gather some personal information, so that you can be kept informed at later stages of the Plan preparation process.  We will only use your personal data in accordance with the requirements of the 2018 Data Protection Act.  Further information is available through the following links:

• East Northamptonshire Council Privacy Statement
• Local Plan Privacy Statement
• Data Protection Officer