In accordance with section 20 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended), Joanna Gilbert MA (Hons) MTP MRTPI has been appointed by the Secretary of State to hold an independent examination of the Lancaster District Local Plan (Climate Emergency Review of the Strategic Policies and Land Allocations Development Plan Document and the Climate Emergency Review of the Development Management Development Plan Document) to determine whether they are sound and legally compliant.

Examination library

The following schedule sets out the documents, statements and other relevant correspondence issued after the submission of the Lancaster CER Local Plan to the Secretary of State on 31 March 2022. This schedule will be updated by all material issued by the Inspector, Lancaster City Council and other parties throughout the examination process.

Inspector’s Documents

Lancaster City Council Documents

Statements of Common Ground

Hearing Statements – Added 6 September 2022

Core documents

Evidence and supporting documents

Adopted Development Plan Documents (DPD)

• DPD1_Morecambe Area Action Plan Development Plan Document
• DPD2_Arnside & Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Development Plan Document & Policies Map 
• DPD3 County Council’s Mineral and Waste Local Plan (Core Strategy adopted 2009. Site Allocations & Development Management Policies adopted 2013)

Adopted Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD)

View the following SPD here

• SPD_HN_Meeting Housing Needs SPD
• SPD_VP_Viability Protocol SPD
• SPD_QC_Canal Quarter SPD
• SPD_HMO_Residential Conversions and Houses in Multiple Occupation SPD
• SPD_ES_Employment and Skills SPD
• SPD_SA_Shopfront and Advertisements SPD

Adopted Neighbourhood Plans

• Wennington Neighbourhood Plan
• Wray Neighbourhood Plan

Please Note: All the  documents can be viewed in the pdf Document Library in addition to all media & communication documents (including information videos) available at all stages of consultation, pre-Regulation 18, Regulation 18 and Regulation 19. 

A public notice, containing information on where the submission documents can be viewed, can be found here . Press release here.

Paper copies are available for inspection during opening hours at:

• Morecambe Town Hall, Marine Road East, Morecambe, LA4 5AF - please check here for town hall opening times
• Lancaster Town Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PJ -  as above
• Libraries in Lancaster, Morecambe, Heysham, Carnforth, and Halton - please check here for library opening times

PLEASE NOTE:  The examination will use the single colour track change version of each Plan and participants should refer to these versions of the Plans in preparing for hearings etc.  These can be found in the drop down 'Core Document and Evidence Base Library' above.

• SD_01.1_Climate Emergency Review of the Strategic Policies & Land Allocations DPD Plan Document Submission Local Plan 2020-2031 - as available during consultation  31 Jan to 14 Mar 2022

• SD_02.1_Climate Emergency Review of the Development Management DPD Submission Local Plan 2020-2031 -  as available during consultation  31 Jan to 14 Mar 2022

5 January 2023: The Planning Inspectorate published a short guide to local plan examinations, aimed mainly at those taking part in their first one.

The planning Inspectorate has produced a procedure guide aimed at all those involved in the process and concerned with the procedural aspects of examining a local plan.

Consultation on the schedule of Further Main Modifications now closed

13 May 2024: Further consultation on the main modification is now completed and the Council has submitted an addendum to its Regulation 22 Statement (EX/LCC/28 ) setting out a summary of representations received.  

Following Examination hearing sessions for the above DPDs in October 2022, the Planning Inspector sent the City Council a Post Hearings Letter to advise, without prejudice to her final conclusions, that her initial view was that subject to Main Modifications, it is likely that the Plans would be found to be legally compliant and sound. The Council subsequently consulted on proposed Main Modifications between 15 June 2023 and 28 July 2023. The Planning Inspector confirmed in her letter of 30^th January 2024 that a focussed further main modifications consultation should take place in respect of amendments to Main Modifications MM14 and MM25 which respectively address energy efficiency standards within Policy DM30A and wind energy within Policy DM53 within Part Two Climate Emergency review of the Development Management Development Plan Document.  The consultation took place between Friday 22 March 2024 and Friday 3 May 2024.  All responses have been sent to the planning inspector for consideration.  You can view the consultation statement and responses for both consultations in the examination news and updates section towards the bottom of this page.

22 March 2024 - The Proposed further Main Modifications consultation ran for 6 weeks from 22nd March closing at 5pm on 3rd May 2024. The documents can be found on the council consultation platform

30 January 2024: The Inspector has written to the Council (EX/INS/12 ) regarding its response, dated 11 January 2024, Written Ministerial Statement on Planning – Local Energy Efficiency Standards Update (13 December 2023) and Wind Energy

11 January 2024: The Council responded (EX/LCC/27 ) to the Inspector’s email dated 18^th December 2023 (EX INS 11 ) regarding Local Energy Efficiency Standards Update and Wind Energy.

19 December 2023: On 13 December 2023, the Government issued a Planning – Local Energy Efficiency Standards Update (Statement UIN HCWS123). This Written Ministerial Statement supersedes the section of the 25 March 2015 Written Ministerial Statement entitled ‘Housing standards: streamlining the system’, sub-paragraph ‘Plan making’ in respect of energy efficiency requirements and standards only. As a result, the Inspector has written to the Council (EX INS 11)  seeking their initial response on this matter by Friday 12 January 2024. The Inspector is not seeking the views of other parties at this point.

23 October 2023: Consultation on the Main Modifications to the Lancaster Climate Emergency Review of the Local Plan has now closed. Representations have been provided to the Inspector. However, given the potential relevance of the current legal challenge in respect of the Salt Cross Garden Village Area Action Plan, the issuing of the Inspector’s report on the Lancaster Climate Emergency Review of the Local Plan is likely to be delayed until after the outcome of the Salt Cross case is known.

5 October 2023: The Council submitted an addendum to its Regulation 22 Statement to include the consultation on the proposed main modifications (EX/LCC/26 ).  The Council have published all of the representations received  (redacted where necessary) as part of the consultation on the proposed main modifications.

15 June 2024: The Proposed Main Modifications consultation ran for 6 weeks from 15 June 2023 closing 5pm on 28 July 2023. The documents can be found on the council consultation platform.

24 March 2023: The Inspector has sent a letter of response (EX/INS/10) to the Council’s letter to her dated 20 February 2023.

1 March 2023: The Council have responded to the Inspector’s letter of December 2022 (EX/LCC/25 ) in relation to guidance sought from DLUHC on the status of the Written Ministerial Statement of 25^th March 2015.

5 January 2023: In the Inspector’s letter to the Council dated 22 December 2022 (EX/INS/09) refers to the letter from the Council to the Inspector dated 2 December 2022 (EX/LCC/24) .  Unfortunately, this had been omitted from the examination library at the time but that has now been rectified.

5 January 2023: The Planning Inspectorate has published this new short guide to local plan examinations, aimed mainly at those taking part in their first one. 

22 December 2022: The Inspector has sent a letter to Council (EX/INS/09) regarding main modifications.

11 November 2022: The Inspector has published her post-hearing letter (EX/INS/08 )

18 October 2022: The Council has submitted documents which were referred to in the recent hearings and they have been added to the examination library:

• EX/LCC/16          UU1 Meeting our Future Water Needs March 2020 (PDF)
• EX/LCC/17          UU3 The North West River Basin Management Plan December 2015
• EX/LCC/18          UU4 Water Efficiency in New Homes Water Resources West October 2021
• EX/LCC/19          UU5 DCLG Standard Review September 2014
• EX/LCC/20          UU7 WaterWise Letter August 2022
• EX/LCC/21          UU13 Charges for a new water connection 2022-23
• EX/LCC/22          UU14 Advice on water efficient new homes for England (September 2018)
• EX/LCC/23          UU15 Response to Defra consultation on measures to reduce personal water use October 2019

10 October 2022:  The hearings were concluded, as programmed, on Friday 7 October.  The following documents have now been added to the examination library:

• EX/LCC/05          LCC Opening Statement CELPR Hearings 
• EX/LCC/06          Local Development Scheme July 2020
• EX/LCC/07          Local Development Scheme February 2021
• EX/LCC/08          Local Development Scheme September 2021
• EX/LCC/9a          Open Space 1 Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy Action Plan
• EX/LCC/9b          Open Space 2 Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy
• EX/LCC/9c          Open Space 3 Open Space Study Standards Paper
• EX/LCC/9d          Open Space 4 Open Space Assessment Report
• EX/LCC/10          Pre Reg 12 Flood Risk - Sequential and Exception Test SPD
• EX/LCC/11          Pre Reg 12 Flood Risk and Sustainable Drainage SPD
• EX/LCC/12          Pre Reg 12 Incorporating GBI into Design of Development SPD
• EX/LCC/13          Pre Reg 12 Provision of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure SPD
• EX/LCC/14          Pre Reg 12 Sustainable Design and Renewable Energy SPD
• EX/LCC/15          Pre Reg 12 Sustainable Travel SPD
• EX/SoCG/02       Duty to Cooperate Statement of Common Ground for the CELPR

4 October 2022: The hearing sessions for the Lancaster CER commence at 10.00 today. Representors who have a right to be heard have been/will be sent a link to join the actual online meetings. However, anyone may observe the hearing sessions.  They may be viewed as they are happening (through live-streaming) or after the session has ended by viewing a recording. A new page has been added to the examination webpage ‘Hearing sessions - live-stream links and recordings’ and when clicked, a table will open containing all of the relevant links.

3 October 2022: A revised draft hearing programme has been published (EX/INS/07a ), the changes relate to participants and not timings.”

28 September 2022: The Inspector has published the agendas for each day of the hearings and an updated draft hearing programme.

• EX/INS/06a – Agenda for day 1 – Tuesday 4 October 2022
• EX/INS/06b – Agenda for day 2 – Wednesday 5 October 2022
• EX/INS/06c – Agenda for day 3 – Thursday 6 October 2022
• EX/INS/06d – Agenda for day 4 – Friday 7 October 2022
• EX/INS/07 – Draft hearing programme – 28 September 2022

22 September 2022: The Council has submitted a letter to the Inspector (EX/LCC/03 ) pursuant to Section 20(7C) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requesting her to make any main modifications required to address any soundness concerns.”

6 September 2022: Hearing statements submitted in response to the Inspector’s Matters, Issues and Questions  (EX/INS/04 ) are available to view and download from the Hearing Statement folder in the Examination Library.

22 August 2022: The Notice of Commencement (EX/LCC/02 ) was published confirming that the hearings will commence at 10.00 am on Tuesday 4^th October 2022 and that they will be held virtually through MS Teams.

25 July 2022: A Statement of Common Ground between the Council and Historic England has been added to the examination library (EX/SoCG/01 )

28 June 2022: The Inspector has published the following documents:

• EX/INS/02 Draft Hearing Programme v.1. June 2022
• EX/INS/03 Guidance Notes v.1 June 2022
• EX/INS/04 Matters, Issues and Questions June 2022 (PDF, 115KB)
• The Programme Officer published a letter of introduction/covering letter for the above EX/INS/05 documents.

Summary of key dates referred to in the documents:

• 1700 on Monday 18 July 2022 - Deadline to confirm with the Programme Officer whether you wish to exercise your right to appear and be heard at an examination hearing session
• 1700 on Monday 25 July 2022 - Deadline for submission of statements of common ground
• 1700 on Monday 5 September 2022 - Deadline for submission of hearing statements
• 1000 on Tuesday 4 October 2022 - Hearing sessions begin

27 May 2022: The Council provided a response (EX/LCC/01 ) to the Inspector’s initial letter.

13 May 2022: The Inspector published her initial letter to the Council (EX/INS/01 )

PLEASE NOTE: THE LIVE STREAM WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE HEARINGS BEGIN