The new Local Development Plan
The major dates in the timetable are as follows:
April to June 2009:
Preparation of ‘Main Issues Report’ – “interested parties and landowners invited to bring forward potential issues and sites for consideration”
(deadline extended to Aug 31st for community councils)
April 2010:
Main Issues Report published, followed by 12 weeks consultation – this will be “the most important stage in the plan-making process when everyone can become effectively involved”
August 2011:
Proposed Local Development Plan published, followed by 12 week consultation period, including notification of “those immediately affected by designates sites … and adequate opportunity to respond”.
July 2012:
Modified Local Development Plan published, with further opportunity for those affected to comment
July 2013-Aug 2014:
Examination / post-examination – “opportunity to invite comments on Reporter’s report”
Although five and a half years may seem a long time, note that PKC also says it “is to be reviewed annually to monitor progress on the production of the Plan and to make amendments to the timetable should there be delays or if issues arise”.
Note that there are important improvements over the procedure that led to the current Local Plan. In particular there will be in effect a “neighbour notification” procedure, and no opportunity for developers to propose new sites late in the process – these safeguards should prevent the last-minute inclusion of new sites without the knowledge of immediate neighbours.