Following the conclusion of the examination hearings in early July 2025, the Inspector has issued the Council with his Post-Hearing Letter (ED042) (PDF), which identifies that the Plan, as submitted, is unsound - but could be made sound through proposed Main Modifications (MMs).
The Inspector asked the Council to consult on a schedule of MMs based on those identified within his letter.
Consultation
The consultation ran from 11 August to 13 October 2025, and was focused on the MMs only. The Council invited representations on the following documents:
- ED043 – Schedule of Proposed Main Modifications to Local Plan Part 2 (PDF)
- ED044 – Sustainability Appraisal Addendum (Post-Hearing Main Modifications) (PDF)
- ED045 – Habitats Regulations Assessment Addendum (Post-Hearing Main Modifications) (PDF)
- ED047 – Schedule of Proposed Modifications to the Local Plan Policies Map (PDF)
- ED048 – Proposed Local Plan Policies Map (incorporating amendments in ED047) (PDF)
In support of the consultation, the Council also published the following documents for information only:
- ED046 – Schedule of Additional Modifications to Local Plan Part 2 (PDF)
- ‘Tracked Changes’ Version of Local Plan Part 2 with Main and Additional Modifications (PDF)
- ‘Clean’ Version of Local Plan Part 2 with Main and Additional Modifications (PDF)
In accordance with the Government’s guidance, additional/minor modifications may be made by the Local Planning Authority where they do not materially affect the Plan’s policies. The additional/minor modifications include items such as the correction of typos and updates to factual information. Additional/minor modifications are not subject to the formal examination process.
Representations on the Main Modifications
The Council received representations from 35 representors. All representations received on the MMs are set out in the table below. Each representor has been issued with a new ID number (MMR00x), which has been attributed chronologically based on the submission date. Where relevant, the representor’s ID number from the consultation held on the draft Submission version of the Local Plan in 2024 is also included in the title.
The Council have produced a spreadsheet of the responses received to the Main Modifications consultation and their response to the issues raised.
- ED049 – Schedule of Representations received during Main Modifications consultation and the Council’s Response to issues raised.
Next Steps
All representations received have been submitted to the Inspector for his consideration in preparing the final report. The publication of the report concludes the examination process, and will set out the Inspector’s conclusions on the soundness and legal compliance of the report.
Further information on the examination process is available in the Procedure Guide for Local Plan Examinations see Section 7: The Inspector’s report). If the Local Plan is found to be ‘sound’, it can be formally adopted by the Council.