News updates and information regarding the Local Plan Review (2021-2040) Examination
| Date | Latest News and Updates |
|---|---|
| 18 December 2024 | Publication of Housing Delivery Test 2023 measurement and its implications on King`s Lynn Borough Council Local Plan Examination. The Government (MHCLG) published the 2023 Housing Delivery Test (HDT) results on 12 December 2024. Following the release of these, the Planning Inspector has written a letter, (reference [G44] within the Examination Library) to the Borough Council. This correspondence raises questions on the reported figures and the Council`s position. Upon review of the HDT 2023 results the Borough Council has identified discrepancies in the published figures, which impacts the Local Plan, in terms of housing land supply and requirements. The Borough Council is actively working with the Government to resolve this issue and the Council’s response to the Inspectors’ letter will be published on the Examination page in due course. |
| 29 November 2024 | Schedule of Main Modifications Part 2 (Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations and Policies) consultation closed. Comments received through the Part 1 and Part 2 consultations were submitted to the Inspectors for their consideration, shortly after the close of the Part 2 consultation. The Inspectors’ Report is expected to be submitted to the Council in January 2025, and will be published thereafter. Publication of the Inspectors’ Report represents the end of the Local Plan examination. |
| 17 October 2024 | Borough Council launches consultation on Schedule of Main Modifications Part 2 (Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations and Policies) - closing date 29 November 2024. |
| 12 September 2024 | Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations and Policies Action Note [G43]. |
| 4 September 2024 | Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations and Policies Examination Hearings are now complete, the Council and the Planning Inspectors are now agreeing Action Notes, to be published shortly. |
| 3-4 September 2024 | Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling showpeople Site Allocations and Policies Examination Hearings recommence. |
| 30 August 2024 | An agenda [G42] setting out programme for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpople Site Allocations and Policies has been published by the Planning Inspector. |
| 22 August 2024 | Deadline for responding to Inspectors Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) “Part 3” closed on 16 August. The Responses to the MIQs have been published in the Examination Library under Section “J”. All Hearing Statements relating to Part 3 Examination Hearing Sessions have been published in Examination Library under section “K” - Part 3. |
| 25 July 2024 | The Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) on Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople’s accommodation needs and sites [G41] have been published. These will be discussed at a Hearing session scheduled to take place on 3 and 4 September 2024. Further details can be found on the Local Plan examination page. |
| 21 June 2024 | Consultation on Gypsy and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople Proposed Sites and Policy closes. |
| 17 June 2024 | Latest Suite of Examination Action Notes have been published, in response to the Action List [G40], raised during Examination Hearing Week 3 and Week 4. |
| 22 May 2024 | The Action List [G40] raised during Examination Hearing Week 3 and Week 4 has now been agreed with the Planning Inspectors and the Borough Council. |
| 17 May 2024 | The Planning Inspectors issued a Post-Hearing Letter and a Post-Hearing Note, please see [G38] and [G39]. |
| 10 May 2024 | Borough Council launches 6-week consultation on The Gypsy and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople Proposed Sites and Policy. |
| 11 April 2024 | The Planning Inspectors has provided a revised programme, please see [G34]. |
| 9 April 2024 | The Agendas for Week 4 Hearing Session is published and available, along with the revised programme [G33]. |
| 4 April 2024 | The actions raised by the Inspector during the Week 3 hearing sessions for Matter 2, Matter 3, Matter 5, incorporating response by the Council, have been published in the Examination Library under section “F”. |
| 29 March 2024 | Deadline for responding to Inspectors Matters, Issues and Questions “Part 2” for Hearing Sessions in April. All Responses have been published in the Examination Library under Section “K” - Part 2. |
| 26 March - 28 March 2024 | Local Plan Review Hearings Resumes at the Small Barn, Knights Hill Hotel, Kings Lynn, PE30 3HQ. |
| 22 March 2024 | The Planning Inspectors has provided a revised programme, please see [G31]. |
| 15 March 2024 | The Planning Inspectors has published the agendas for the upcoming Resumed Hearing Sessions in March 2024, please see below: |
| 8 March 2024 | Deadline for responding to Inspectors Matters, Issues and Questions “Part 1” for Hearing Session in March. All responses have been published on Examination Library under section “K”. |
| 5 March 2024 | Council received and further addendum to the Additional Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs), please see [G27]. |
| 21 February 2024 | The Planning Inspectors provided an Addendum to Matters, Issues and Questions, please see [G25]. |
| 13 February 2024 | Examination Resumption dates have been agreed to take place on Week 3: 26-28 March; Week 4: 16-19 March and Week 5; 3-4 September 2024. The Inspectors have published Additional Schedule of Matters, Issues and Questions for the Examination Part 1 and Part 2 [G24], Outline Programme for the Resumed Hearing [G23] and a Guidance Note [G22] for the Resumed Hearings. |
| 26 January 2024 | The Council is now consulting on the Gypsy and Traveller Potential Sites and Policy Consultation Document and supporting evidence base documents [F55-F57, B10]. This consultation runs for 6 weeks, from 26 January - 8 March 2024, inclusive. Full details are available on the main Local Plan examination web page. |
| 17 November 2023 | Representations in response to the consultation on the Additional Evidence Base documents for the Local Plan Review have been reviewed by the Council and submitted to the Inspectors for their consideration. Summaries of the representations and the Council’s responses to them are available to view in the Examination Library [J1-J8], along with copies of the representations [J9-J59]. The implications of the Additional Evidence for the Examination of the Plan and the remaining matters and issues outstanding from the adjourned Examination Hearing programme [G15], will be discussed at a resumed Hearing in 2024. It is expected that this will take place following the completion of the work being undertaken by the Council on Gypsy and Traveller sites, which is scheduled to conclude in April 2024. Dates and arrangements for the resumption of the Hearing will be announced on the website in due course and notified to all parties who have made representations on the Plan and the additional evidence. |
| 10 October 2023 | The Borough Council has written to the Planning Inspectors, providing an update/ progress report in allocating land to meet accommodation needs for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople, identified in the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (June 2023) [F44]. This has required the preparation of a revised timetable to complete this work. The Borough Council’s letter to the Inspectors (with updated timetable) is available to view [F54]. |
| 13 October 2023 | The Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (June 2023) [F44] identified a need for at least 102 additional pitches over the Plan period, requiring the allocation of additional land to meet this. The Council is running a 4-week Call for Sites, from 13 October – 10 November 2023, inclusive. Details of the consultation are available on the main Local Plan examination web page. |
| 10 October 2023 | The Borough Council has written to the Planning Inspectors, providing an update/ progress report in allocating land to meet accommodation needs for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople, identified in the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (June 2023) [F44]. This has required the preparation of a revised timetable to complete this work. The Borough Council’s letter to the Inspectors (with updated timetable) is available to view [F54]. |
| 8 September 2023 | The Council has published a series of additional evidence base documents (topic papers, technical notes etc), regarding the Spatial Strategy, Settlement Hierarchy, Transport, Retail Impact Thresholds, Housing Land Supply, West Winch Growth Area, Wisbech Fringe and the Viability Study. These documents [F47-F53] are available to view through the Examination Library Index. Documents F47-F53 (including appendices for each), together with the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment [F44], are now subject to 6-weeks public consultation. The consultation will commence on Friday, 8 September, finishing at 11:59pm on Friday. 20 October 2023. |
| 26 July 2023 | The Council has published a revised timetable [F46a] for the work to be undertaken to identify sites to meet the accommodation identified in the GTAA, which supersedes the earlier indicative timetable published on 3 July 2023. |
| 3 July 2023 | The Council has published an indicative timescale [F46] for the work to be undertaken to identify sites to meet the accommodation needs identified in the GTAA. |
| 21 June 2023 | The Council has submitted an updated Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA), dated June 2023 [F44] to the Inspectors, together with a covering email [F45]. The Inspectors have responded [G21] inviting the Council to undertake work to identify a supply of sites sufficient to meet the accommodation needs identified in the GTAA, for consideration as part of the Examination of the LPR. The GTAA will be subject to consultation in due course alongside the further evidence referred to below. The relevant documents can be viewed through the links above and found in the Examination Library. |
| 25 May 2023 | Further evidence was submitted by the Council at the end of April, in response to the Inspectors’ letter of 30 January 2023. The Inspectors are reviewing the evidence to ensure it responds to the matters raised in their letter about the soundness of the spatial strategy and distribution of housing in the Plan. Once the Inspectors are satisfied that the further work requested has been provided, they will invite the Council to publish and consult on it, prior to the resumption of the Hearing. The timetable for the public consultation and the Hearing resumption will be notified to interested parties and via the Examination website in due course. |
| 14 April 2023 | The second (April 2023) Progress Update report is now available to view. This can be viewed through this link [F43] or found in the Examination Library. |
| 9 March 2023 | In agreement with the Planning Inspectors, the Council will now publish monthly update reports regarding the progress of the Local Plan. A copy of the March 2023 Progress Update [F42] can be viewed through this link or found in the Examination Library. |
| 20 February 2023 | The Council has written to the Inspectors confirming that it will endeavour to complete the further work requested by 28 April 2023. A copy of the letter [F41] can be read via this link or found in the Examination Library. |
| 30 January 2023 | Following the adjournment of the Hearing, the Inspectors have written to the Council setting out further work required to justify the spatial strategy and distribution of housing in the Local Plan Review, and the way forward for the Examination, including a timescale for the delivery of this work and the resumption of the Hearing. The letter [G19] and accompanying note [G20] are now available to view. |
| 11 January 2023 | KL&WN Adjournment Announcement The Inspectors have today announced the adjournment of the Local Plan Examination Hearing and have cancelled the remaining Hearing sessions planned for Thursday 12, Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 January 2023. This is to allow the Council the opportunity to undertake further work to justify the spatial strategy and distribution of housing in the Local Plan Review. The Inspectors will write to the Council in the next few weeks setting out the way forward for the Examination following this adjournment and providing a timescale for the delivery of this work and the resumption of the Hearing. This letter will then be placed on the Examination website. |
| 9 January 2023 | The Council has published a number of documents containing further evidence as requested by the Inspectors in the Action List for week 1 of the Examination Hearing [G12]. These can be found in the Examination Library at the links below:
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| 5 January 2023 | The Inspectors have published agendas for the Examination Hearing sessions to take place on 10 January 2023 [G16], 11 January [G17] and 12 January [G18]. These set out the issues to be discussed and the times for the start and finish of each hearing session. The agendas can be found in the Examination Library via the embedded links above. |
| 23 December 2022 | The Inspectors have published a revised Hearing Programme with an updated list of Participants for weeks 2 and 3 of the Hearing [G15]. Week 2 will take place on 10-12 January 2023 and week 3 on 25-26 January 2023. Hearing statements from the Council and other participants on Matters 5-9, in response to the Inspectors’ Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) – Part 2 [G6], are also now available to view in the Examination Library [H28-H49]. These statements will inform the discussions in weeks 2 and 3 of the Hearing. Agendas for each daily session in weeks 2 and 3 of the Hearing will be published in the first week on January, setting out in more detail the issues to be discussed and the times for the start and finish of each hearing session. The following further pieces of evidence prepared by the Council in response to discussions in the first week of the Hearing have also been published: F33 – Sustainability Appraisal Mitigation Note (in response to action 3 in the Action List [G12]), F34 – Note on Developability and Deliverability of Housing Allocations (in response to action 52 of the Action List). All of these documents can be found in the Examination Library via the embedded links above. |
| 20 December 2022 | The Inspectors have published a list of Actions on issues that were discussed during the first week of the Examination Hearing, held on 6-8 December 2022. These are primarily for the Council to action, but a couple relate to actions agreed by other parties. The list is self-explanatory with dates for the completion of actions indicated, where these are known at this stage. The Inspectors will review progress on the outstanding actions at the start of the second week of the Hearing on 10 January 2023. The Action List and related documents can be accessed from the above embedded link and found in the Examination Library as documents G12-G14. |
| 1 December 2022 | The Council has submitted a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for the West Winch Growth Area, and Statements of Common Ground (SoCGs) with Historic England and the Environment Agency, listing suggested Main Modifications to policies in the Plan. These have been added to the Examination Library as Examination documents F27, F28 and F29. The Inspectors have confirmed that the contents of the HIA and the SoCGs will be discussed at the relevant sessions of the Examination Hearing. |
| 28 November 2022 | Statements by participants regarding Matters 1-5, in response to the Inspectors’ Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) – Part 1 [G3], are now available to view in the Examination Library [H1-H27]. These statements will inform the 6-8 December Hearing sessions. |
| 25 November 2022 | The Inspectors have published an updated Hearing Programme with Participants [document G8], for the Examination Hearing due to open on 6 December 2022. Agendas have also been published for the first three days of the Hearing on 6 December [G9], 7 December [G10] and 8 December [G11], setting out in more detail the issues to be discussed and the times for the start and finish of each hearing session. All of these documents can be found in the Examination Library via the embedded links above. |
| 18 November 2022 | The Inspectors have now published the Outline Hearing Programme [G7], setting out details of parties who will be attending the forthcoming Examination Hearing sessions (December 2022/January 2023) |
| 10 November 2022 | The Inspector’s have issued Part 2 of the Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) [G6], which will be discussed at the Examination Hearing sessions in January 2023. They should be read alongside the Outline Hearing Programme [G1], which gives the dates for when each Matter is scheduled to be considered. Further details about how and when to respond to the Part 2 MIQs, and how you can participate in the Hearing on them, are given in the Inspectors’ Examination Guidance Note [G2]. |
| 7 November 2022 | The Inspectors’ have written to the Council to confirm that the updated Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA), currently under preparation, will take account of the legal judgement of 31 October 2022. This concerns the interpretation of the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (PPTS) and the application of that policy to Gypsies and Travellers who have ceased to pursue nomadic lifestyles. This letter [G5] and the Council's reply [F25] are available in the Examination Library [Inspector's Examination Documents and Examination Library Index, respectively]. |
| 24 October 2022 | Hearing programme – details and guidance on how to participate and the questions to be discussed during the first week of the Hearing are contained in the Outline Hearing Programme [G1], Inspectors’ Examination Guidance Note [G2], and the Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) – Part 1 [G3], which are available in the Examination Library [Inspector's Examination Documents]. |
| 20 October 2022 | The Council has submitted an updated Schedule of Suggested Main Modifications in response to the Inspectors’ Initial Questions and for consideration at forthcoming Examination Hearing. It is referenced as, Examination Document F21, and can be found in the Examination Library from the link above. There will be an opportunity for interested parties to respond to the suggested MMs as part of any written statements on the Inspectors’ Main Issues and Questions (MIQs) to be issued in advance of the Hearing. |
| 10 October 2022 | The Council has published a Revised Housing Trajectory for the 2021/22-2038/39, to replace the version submitted in August in response to question 8 in the Inspectors’ Initial Questions Part 2. At the request of the Inspectors the previous version has been removed from the Examination Library and been replaced by this revised version. It is referenced as document F22 in the Examination Library. |
| 3 October 2022 | The Council has produced a new Policies Map for the Draft Local Plan Review (A1), as explained it its response to question 9 of the Inspectors’ Initial Questions - Part 1 [see Examination document F15]. The new Map consists of 21 sections covering the whole of the Borough. It does not modify any of the proposed designations, allocations or boundaries contained in the submitted Plan and Policies Map, but ensures that the Policies Map illustrates geographically all of the policies in the submitted Plan across the Borough. The maps can be accessed from the link above. |
| 28 September 2022 | The Council has submitted a Position Statement on the Wisbech Fringe site allocation (F23) Policy F3.1. It will be taken into account by the Inspectors as part of their Examination of the Local Plan and discussed at the Hearing to take place later in the year. There will be an opportunity for interested parties to respond to the Position Statement as part of any written statements on the Inspectors’ Main Issues and Questions (MIQs) to be issued in advance of the Hearing. |
| 5 September 2022 | The Council has submitted an Infrastructure Delivery Plan, September 2022 as referenced in its response to question 5 of the Inspectors’ Initial Questions Part 2. Document reference F24 in the Examination Library. |
| 5 September 2022 | The Council has published a Summary of Consultation Responses on the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) Addendum/ Non-Technical Summary. Document reference B9 in the Examination Library. |
| 19 August 2022 | Consultation regarding Post-submission Sustainability Appraisal update ended |
| 5 August 2022 | Council’s Response to Inspector’s Initial Questions (Part 2), July 2022 (F18-F20) |
| 5 August 2022 | The Council has published a Draft Schedule of Main Modifications (MMs) as referenced in its response to question 18 of the Inspectors’ Initial Questions Part 2. Document reference F21 in the Examination Library. The schedule will be updated as further MMs are proposed during the course of the Examination. |
| 5 August 2022 | The Council has published an Updated Housing Trajectory for the period 2021/22-2038/39, as referenced in its response to question 8 in the Inspectors’ Initial Questions Part 2. Document reference F22 in the Examination Library. |
| 8 July 2022 | Sustainability Appraisal update consultation (B – Sustainability Appraisals) - closing date for responses, 19 August 2022 |
| 7 June 2022 | Inspectors Initial Questions (Part 2) to the Council published (G2) |
| 27 May 2022 | Council’s response to Inspectors’ Initial Questions (Part 1) published (F15) |
| 5 May 2022 | Inspectors Initial Questions (Part 1) to the Council published (G1) |
Further updates will be added to this page as the Local Plan examination progresses.