An independent review of the Local Plan process has recently been completed by the Planning Officers Society. The review concluded the overall approach being taken to prepare the Local Plan is appropriate and not flawed.

This followed a request by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Martin Fisher, who wanted to ensure the approach being followed was correct and to identify any potential risks in the process.

In addition, it commended the two stage Regulation 18 consultation which has been carried out, as it will help the Council to move towards Regulation 19 with greater confidence and less uncertainty. The review also found:

§  The Sites Consultation documents have drawn upon widely respected methodologies.

§  The evidence base is likely to provide a robust justification for the examination

§  The community engagement arrangements should satisfy the test of soundness.

§  The Council should continue its current timetable to complete the Local Plan as soon as possible to retain firm control over planning decisions.

·         The Council needs to agree its approach to managing future development in the next few months.

Councillor Peter Bond, Chairman of the Planning Policy Committee, said: “I am delighted the hard work of the planning team and the approach taken by the Planning Policy Committee has been validated by a respected independent review. There have been accusations the approach was flawed and this review clearly demonstrates it is not. It shows the Council has provided strong evidence, has consulted its residents well and the methods employed use the right approach. More importantly we now need to press on with making our plan as quickly as possible, to ensure we create an environment where people want to live, work and visit.”