Joint Local Plan Examination

September 2023

Following the further hearing sessions, the Appointed Inspectors have published their report. Their report concludes that the duty to cooperate has been met, and that the Joint Local Plan - with the recommended Main Modifications, as set out in the Appendix to the report, is sound and capable of adoption.

The report is accompanied by an Appendix which contains the Main Modifications:

Read the Examination report

Part 1 of the Joint Local Plan will be considered for adoption at Full Council meetings in November 2023.

You can view a hard copy of the Examination report and Appendix, during normal office hours, at either:

Endeavour House

Russell Road

Ipswich

IP1 2BX

or

Customer Access Points at:

• Sudbury Library, Market Hill, Sudbury, CO10 2EN or
• 54 Ipswich Street, Stowmarket, IP14 1AD

If you would like to contact us, please phone 0300 124 4000 (Option 5, then Option 4) or email localplan@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

Please note that the Examination report is final. We are not inviting further comments on the report.

The Planning Inspectorate would like your feedback about the Examination. If you made comments in writing - or took part in a hearing session - please complete our short online survey. This survey will be open for five weeks, until Thursday 26 October 2023.

Any comments you make will be confidential.

June 2023

The Appointed Inspectors have published an agenda for the further hearing sessions (Document H44 in the Core Document Library).

We have also published summary officer comments to the main objection issues through the Proposed Modifications Consultation, which are available to access in the Core Document Library.

The further hearing sessions - which began on Monday 26 June 2023 - were livestreamed. You can watch them back on our Joint Local Plan YouTube channel.

May 2023

We have published a notice, which confirms the start date of the further hearing sessions (Document H38 in the Core Document Library). The programme of further hearing sessions is available, too (Document H41).

We have also written to the Inspectors, to confirm that following the recent local elections, we wish to progress and adopt the Joint Local Plan in a timely way (Document G13).

In accordance with Section 20 (7C) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, we invited responses to the Proposed Modifications of the Joint Local Plan.

The consultation period was six weeks long and ran from 12pm on Thursday 16 March 2023 to 5pm on Wednesday 3 May 2023.

Please access our Proposed Modifications Consultation information to learn more, and access the relevant documents.

The new Local Development Scheme (LDS) outlined a Part 1 and Part 2 Joint Local Plan, and set out the revised timetable for the production of the Joint Local Plan.

It also introduced nine supplementary planning documents, and provided an updated programme for revisions to the Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedules.

The LDS was approved:

1. by Babergh District Council on 25 October 2022
2. by Mid Suffolk District Council on 27 October 2022

Inspectors Malcolm Rivett BA(Hons) MSc MRPTI and Alison Partington BA(Hons) MA MRTPI have been appointed to hold an independent Examination of the Joint Local Plan. Their role is to carry out an assessment of the overall soundness of the Joint Local Plan.

They will also assess whether it satisfies the statutory requirements for its preparation.

Annette Feeney has been appointed as the Programme Officer for the Joint Local Plan Examination. She will deal with all procedural, administrative and programming matters.

The Programme Officer is independent from the Councils, and reports directly to the Appointed Inspectors.

All correspondence or queries which relate to the Examination should be directed to the Programme Officer.

Email annette.feeney@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

Phone 07775771026

Write to:

Annette Feeney, Programme Officer

c/o Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils

Endeavour House

Russell Road

Ipswich

IP1 2BX

Our Joint Local Plan Examination archive provides the history of the Joint Local Plan Examination between April 2021 - December 2021.

Our Core Document Library contains all documents which relate to the Joint Local Plan Examination. It includes the Joint Local Plan itself, its evidence and all correspondence.

Access our Core Document Library