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Purbeck Local Plan Examination

Find out the latest information about the Purbeck Local Plan

Latest news

We are reviewing the Purbeck Local Plan. Once adopted, the plan will be used to approve or refuse planning applications and will set out the vision and objectives for the Purbeck area. We set out our timetable for preparing planning policy documents in the Local Development Scheme.

Beverley Doward BSc, BTP, MRTPI was appointed as an independent planning inspector by the Planning Inspectorate to undertake an examination of both the Purbeck Local Plan and the CIL Charging Schedule however Ms Doward retired in early 2022.

The new inspectors for the plan are Susan Heywood and Gareth Wildgoose and the CIL Charging Schedule will be examined by Jameson Bridgwater. 

Helen Nolan is the Programme Officer; she assists the inspector in ensuring the smooth and efficient running of the examination process.

Local plan examinations and the planning issues that they deal with can be complex. The Planning Inspectorate have prepared a short guide for those who may be participating in an examination for the first time. If you have any further queries relating to the process of examining the Purbeck Local Plan please contact the Programme Officer.

Contact us

Any queries about the examination should be sent to Helen Nolan, the Programme Officer.

Programme Officer for the Purbeck Local Plan

Name: Helen Nolan
Email: helen.nolan@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Tel: 07773 615820
Full contact details

Correspondence

Correspondence between the inspector, representors and the council is exchanged through the Programme Officer. For transparency and information purposes all documents will be published.

Table of correspondence to Representors from the Inspector and the council - updated October 2019

Hearing sessions

The CIL Charging schedule will be examined after the Local Plan. Details about these hearing sessions will follow later.

Limited Seats are available at all Hearing Sessions for the General Public and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Hearing sessions information

Previous hearing sessions programmes for Matters A-I from July to October 2019

Examination Documents Library

The Examination Library sets out the documents, statements and other relevant correspondence issued after the submission of the Purbeck Local Plan. This will be updated with all documents issued by the Inspector and submitted by Purbeck District council (now Dorset Council) and other parties throughout the examination process. Documents issued by the Inspectors are prefixed with abbreviation COR and those submitted by the council and other third parties with the abbreviation SD. The documents relating to the consultation on Proposed Main Modifications are prefixed with the abbreviation MMCD and those documents relating to the consultation on Further Proposed Main Modifications with the abbreviation FMMCD. There are 8 sections:

Section 1: Documents submitted by the council - Post Submission (July 2019 to January 2020)

Council's response to changes in Planning Practice Guidance

Matter A: Legal Compliance and Procedural Requirements

Matter B: Housing Need and requirements

Matter C: Green Belt

Matter D: The Strategy for Development

Matter E: Housing

Matter F: Environment

Matter G: Economy

Matter H: Infrastructure

Matter I: Implementation, Delivery and Monitoring

Section 2: Documents submitted by Representors (July 2019 to October 2019)

Representors response to changes in Planning Practice Guidance

Documents submitted by Representors (following receipt of council's documents - Post Submission)

Section 3: Documents issued by the Inspector Doward (May 2019 to March 2020)

Section 4: Background documents referred to at July, August and October 2019 hearing sessions

Habitats Regulations Assessment

Green Belt

Housing

AONB

Sustainability Appraisal

Spatial Strategy

Policies Map

Transport

Dorset Council

Matters, issues and questions

Dorset Council responses to Inspector's matters, issues and questions:

Representors' further comments in response to Inspector's Matters, Issues and Questions

Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) section

You can view the Purbeck Local Plan submission documents. They can also be viewed at Dorset Council's offices at Westport House.

Documents summarising the development of the CIL charging schedule and priorities for spending January 2019 can be found on the Community Infrastructure Levy review page.

Section 5: Documents relating to Proposed Main Modifications (November 2020 to May 2021)

After receiving Inspector Doward’s Post Hearing Note the council has prepared Main Modifications to the submission draft local plan and conducted a consultation on Proposed Main Modifications (MM). Documents and correspondence relating to MM are presented under the relevant heading on this page.

Proposed Main Modifications (November 2020 to January 2021)

Responses and council’s consultation response document

Section 6: Documents and correspondence dated between April and December 2021

  • COR12 - letter dated 20 April 2021 from Inspector Doward relating to assessment of local housing need and the council’s consultation response document for MM
  • COR13 - letter dated 10 June 2021 from Inspector Doward summarising her consideration of the issues raised on MM, the review of evidence relating to the local plan and the information needed to support revision to MM
  • SD133 - letter dated 24 June 2021 from the council in response to Inspector Doward’s earlier letter, including a review of the evidence underpinning the local plan
  • COR14 - letter dated 25 June 2021 from Inspector Doward responding to the council’s earlier letter 
  • SD134 - letter dated 7 July 2021 from the council providing on an update on the preparation of documentation and giving a view on the nature and scope of a consultation on revisions to MM 
  • COR15 - letter dated 22 October 2021 from Inspector Doward in respect to housing land supply and timescales for preparation of the evidence referred to in her letter of 10 June 2021
  • SD135 - letter dated 3 November 2021 from the council in response to Inspector Doward’s letter of 22 October
  • COR16 - letter dated 24 November 2021 from Inspectors Doward and Heywood agreeing to a consultation on further proposed main modifications

Section 7: Documents relating to Further Proposed Main Modifications (December 2021 to April 2022)

After considering issues raised in MM the council prepared Further Proposed Main Modifications (FMM) which principally related to: Policies V2 (Green Belt) and I5 (Morden Park holiday park and strategic suitable alternative natural greenspace). Documents and correspondence relating to FMM are presented under the relevant heading on this page.

Further Proposed Main Modifications (December 2021 to January 2022)

Responses and council’s consultation response document

Section 8: Documents and correspondence dated between January and December 2022 (including those related to the July 2022 hearing session)

Section 9: Documents and correspondence dated between January and November 2023

  • SD149 - letter dated 12 January 2023 from the council outlining its response to Natural England’s revised position following an amendment (amendment reference NC77) to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill and updating the Inspectors on its response to the actions listed in their letter of the 16 December 2022
  • SD150 - letter dated 19 January 2023 from the council providing its response to some of the queries/actions raised in the inspectors’ letter of the 16 December 2022 and explaining when it intends to respond to the remaining queries/actions
  • COR27 - letter dated 16 February 2023 from the Inspectors responding to council’s letter of 19 January 2023 asking us to respond to issues relating to the use of a restrictive condition to control qualifying development within the Poole Harbour catchment. The Inspectors’ letter also seeks clarification on our approach to viability considerations/affordable housing contributions, clarification in respect to the role of the existing Nitrogen Reduction in Poole Harbour Supplementary Planning Document, asks for confirmation that the joint position statement relating to nutrient pollution will be updated and seeks an update on when the Inspectors will receive draft addendums to the local plan Habitats Regulation Assessment and Sustainability Appraisal
  • SD151 - letter dated 17 March 2023 from the council providing its response to the queries/actions raised in the inspectors’ letter of 16 February 2023
  • SD152 - letter dated 4 May 2023 from the council providing an update to the Inspectors on a change to its position on the nutrient pollution issue following a meeting with government earlier in 2023
  • COR28 - interim findings and next steps 24 May 2023 from the Inspectors in response to the councils letter of the 4 May, including their interim findings on: housing need, housing requirement, housing supply, Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace, nutrient pollution in Poole Harbour, Wareham integrated health and social care and changes to local plan policies maps. The Inspectors statement also outlines their views on next steps for the examination of the Purbeck Local Plan
  • SD153 - update on local housing need July 2023 prepared by the council as part of its work on housing land supply for the Purbeck area and in response to the Inspectors’ letter outlining interim findings and next steps (24 May 2023)
  • SD154 - Purbeck area updated five-year housing land supply April 2022 prepared by the council as part of its work on housing land supply for the Purbeck area and in response to the Inspectors’ letter outlining interim findings and next steps (24 May 2023)
  • SD155 - Breakdown of anticipated yields from different sources of housing land supply prepared by the council as part of its work on housing land supply for the Purbeck area. The breakdown of yields relates to housing allocations in adopted and emerging local plans in addition to other sources of housing land supply identified elsewhere (including five-year housing land supply report and Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment) 
  • SD156 - Additional modifications document prepared by the council to show the current list (as of November 2023) of those additional minor modifications which do not materially affect the local plan’s policies. These additional modifications have not been published for comment and do not form part of the consultation on Supplementary Proposed Main Modifications