Stage 4 - Submission and Examination

We submitted our Local Plan 2012-2027 to the Secretary of State on 31 October 2012 for an Examination in Public (EiP) by a Planning Inspector.

The Secretary of State appointed Mr Roger Clews BA MSc DipEd DipTP MRTPI, an Inspector from the Planning Inspectorate, to conduct an independent public examination into the soundness of the West Lancashire Local Plan. 

Following receipt of the Inspector's Report on 26 September 2013, the council adopted the Local Plan 2012-2027 on 16 October 2013.

• View information on the adopted Local Plan 2012-2027

Receipt of the Inspector's Final Report

The council received the Inspector's Final Report on 26 September 2013. The Inspector has concluded that the Local Plan is both sound and legally compliant, subject to the implementation of the Main Modifications he has recommended.  The Inspector's recommended main modifications will be incorporated into the Local Plan, together with the minor modifications provided below, and the final version will go before council on 16 October 2013.  If approved by council, the Local Plan 2012-2027 will become a key element of the development plan for West Lancashire and supersede the existing West Lancashire Replacement Local Plan.

• Download the Inspector's Final Report (PDF 433kb)
• Download the Inspector's Final Report Appendix (PDF 1.8mb)
• Download the Minor Modifications Annex (PDF 3.9mb)

The Minor Modifications Annex was republished here on 3 October 2013 to include some minor updates.

The Examination

Given that the Inspector has now published his final report, the Examination of the Local Plan is now closed. However, the full set of documents that were submitted can be viewed below in the Submission documents table. This table includes all the representations received as a result of the consultation on the publication (the proposed submission document) under Regulation 28.

The tables and links below also contain all the supporting documents, including consultation, publicity and evidence documents, which have been used to prepare, inform and document the production of the Local Plan. Further series of documents have been added during the process of the Examination and have been added as relevant below.

A Pre-Hearing meeting took place on Wednesday 19 December 2012, at the West Lancashire Investment Centre, White Moss Business Park, Maple View, Skelmersdale, WN8 9TG. The purpose of the Pre-Hearing Meeting was to provide an opportunity for procedural and administrative matters relating to the Examination to be explained and discussed. Notes to that meeting, together with other related papers, are contained within the series of documents EX.116a-f, listed below.

Examination Hearings were held between Tuesday 19 February 2013 and Thursday 7 March 2013 at the same venue as above. A section of the library has Agendas for the various hearings and a further section including notes to Matter 18 which contained an indication of procedural topics for further stages in the Examination.

An independent Programme Officer, Tony Blackburn, assisted the Inspector during the Examination. However, now that the hearings have closed, all enquiries regarding the Local Plan should be directed to the Council by phoning 01695 585132, or emailing localplan@westlancs.gov.uk.

Submission documents

Supporting documents

Due to the volume of the supporting documents, they are broken down into the following sections:

• A: National and regional planning policy, strategies and guidance
• B: West Lancashire and 'other' policy, strategies and guidance
• C: Local Plan preparation stages, including consultation
• D: Local Plan Evidence Base
• E: Cabinet reports and minutes
• F: The Replacement Local Plan 2001-2016

Documents submitted during the Examination

Due to the volume of documents submitted during the Examination, they are broken down into the following sections:

Documents submitted during the Examination (Prior to Hearings)

Documents submitted by the Inspector and the Council, and items from the Programme Officer. Documents in this section run from EX.101 to EX.136.

• View Documents submitted during the Examination (prior to hearings) 

Hearing Statements submitted

The hearing statements submitted by representors, and the Council, in response to the Inspector's questions can be found using the links below.

• View the hearings statements - Matter 1 to Matter 8 
• View the hearing statements - Matter 9 to Matter 17

Hearing Session Agendas

Agendas for each of the hearing sessions. Agenda documents run from HA.101a to HA.116.

• View the Hearing Session Agendas

Documents submitted during the Examination hearings

These documents run from EX.201 to EX.243b.

• View the documents submitted during the Examination hearings

Further Statements arising from Inspector's invitations during the hearings

This section of the library includes responses to invitations as covered in other library entries numbered EX224a, EX230a, and EX231a.  These documents run from EX.301a to EX.310a.

• View further statements arising from Inspector's invitations during the hearings

Further documents submitted following the close of the Hearings

These documents run from EX.401a to EX.413b. The Inspector's interim views on the Local Plan can be found in the EX.410 series, whilst the Cabinet papers can be found in the EX.413 series. All documents provided in this section were produced following the close of hearings (8 March) and the start of consultation on the Main Modifications (27 June).

• View further documents submitted following the close of the hearings

Notes to the Hearings

• View the Notes to the Hearings

Responses to consultation on revocation of Regional Strategy

See Programme Officer's email (Library item EX.406) for background details. The Council's response is within library document EX.407b.

• View the responses to the consultation on the revocation of Regional Strategy

Response to consultation on household projections

See Programme Officer's email (Library item EX.407c) for background details. The Council's response is within library document EX.407b.

• View the responses to the consultation on household projections

Consultation on the Main Modifications

The Inspector set out his interim views on the modifications required to the policies which cover the strategic and land allocation aspects of the Local Plan, in order to make the Plan sound.  The Inspector's letter, and the accompanying documents, can be found in EX.410a to EX.410i.  In response to the Inspector's interim views, the Council prepared a series of Main and Minor Modifications to the Local Plan, which were approved by Council's Cabinet on 18 June 2013. Consultation on the Main Modifications ran for 6 weeks, from Thursday 27 June to Friday 9 August 2013.  All comments received were then passed to the Planning Inspector for his consideration.

The full library of consultation documents, representations received and correspondence can be found as EX.8 documents.

• View the Main Modifications documents

Document availability

All the documents are available to download through these pages. Some of the submission documents are available to view at Council offices, public libraries and post offices in the borough in accordance with legal requirements. Alternatively, all documents are available to view on request at the Council offices, 52 Derby St, Ormskirk. It is advisable to phone ahead on 01695 585171 so we can make sure the document is ready. Documents can be purchased for a charge.

Publicity

Press notices were placed in the local paper to notify of:

submission of the Local Plan notification of the PHM and hearing dates representation commencing on the Main Modifications Copies are available in the document lists through these Examination pages.

Letters have also been sent to statutory consultees, general consultees and those who registered their wishes to be kept informed.

• Follow news on Your West Lancashire 2027 Facebook page (external link).