Local Plan Examination

The Council received the Inspector's Report on the 8^th January 2015. The Report sets out Inspector David Hogger's conclusions on the South Somerset Local Plan (2006 - 2028). Inspectors Report

The Report concludes that the Local Plan is 'sound' subject to a number of Main Modifications suggested by the Council. It also sets out the Inspector's findings on a series of other matters which were debated during the Examination Hearing Sessions in May / June 2013, and June 2014.

The next step is to finalise the Local Plan and look to adopt it as part of the Development Plan. A Full Council meeting on the 5 March 2015 will ask Members to adopt the Local Plan

Documents produced for Local Plan Examination can be found here: Core Documents

Examination Hearing Sessions took place between May and June 2013. Additional detail on the Examination and the Examination Hearing Sessions is set out below:

• Notice of Examination
• Extract from 'Examining Development Plan Documents: Learning from Experience' (Sept 2009)
• Correspondence from the Inspector and the Programme Officer
• Post-Submission documents including Council and Respondent Statements in response to Inspector's Issues and Questions
• Lists of Changes
• Revocation of Regional Spatial Strategy - important message from the Inspector

On the 03 July 2013 the Inspector issued a Preliminary Findings letter. This set out a three significant issues of concern relating to the 'soundness' of the Local Plan. The Inspector identified options for how the Council could proceed. The Council requested a suspension to the Examination and this was approved by the Inspector. Full details of the Inspector's Preliminary Findings and the Council's correspondence can be found here: Correspondence between the Inspector and the Council regarding the suspension of the Local Plan Examination

On the 02 May 2014, the Inspector set out a programme for the resumption of the Examination into the South Somerset Local Plan 2006 - 2028.

The programme sets out the timing and dates for the Hearing Sessions, which will debate the Council's Main Modifications to the Local Plan. The Hearing Sessions provide an opportunity to debate the Inspector's list of 'Issues and Questions' and enable the Inspector to consider whether the Local Plan can be found 'sound'. To assist respondents in progressing their comments on the Local Plan the Inspector has provided a guidance note clarifying the process.

Full details can be found in the following documents:

• Draft Programme for Examination Hearing Sessions, including Inspector's Issues and Questions; and
• Inspector's Guidance Note

Between the 02 May and 23 May, the Council and other participants in the Examination Hearing Sessions will clarify their answers to the Inspector's Questions in the form of written statements. These will be uploaded to the website on the following webpage Local Plan Examination Hearing Sessions 

Following a second round of Local Plan Examination Hearing Sessions in June 2014, the Inspector's Preliminary Findings (16 July 2014) indicated that four further Main Modifications were required to make the plan sound. 

The Council published four Main Modifications for consultation from 28 August to 10 October 2014. Consultation responses have been analysed and used to prepare the final Main Modifications. These were approved at a meeting of Full Council on the 06 November 2014.

The Main Modifications and supporting documents were submitted to the Inspector on the 07 November 2014, and are set out below:

• Main Modifications (November 2014);
• Inspector's Appendix of Main Modifications (November 2014);
• Sustainability Appraisal (November 2014);
• Habitats Regulation Assessment (November 2014);
• Equalities Assessment (November 2014); and
• Analysis of Consultation Responses (November 2014).

the Proposed Main Modifications Consultation; and

Queries over the progress of the Local Plan during this period should be directed to the Spatial Planning Team (planning.policy@southsomerset.gov.uk) at South Somerset District Council.