Cabinet asked to agree council’s response to Local Plan inspectors

A report will be presented to Shropshire Council’s Cabinet next Wednesday, asking them to agree the council’s response to a letter from the Local Plan Inspectors, following hearing sessions in October 2024 – including a proposed new timetable for the plan.

The letter was received in January and raised a number of concerns about the soundness of the draft Plan. It asks the council to provide a project plan to the Inspectors which sets out how all of the soundness issues will be addressed within a six month timeframe. It says that should this not be possible, the Inspectors would need to consider the withdrawal of the draft Local Plan.

Shropshire Council says it is surprised and disappointed by many of the issues raised by the inspectors and has raised these concerns in the proposed response.

Despite these concerns, the council’s letter provides a positive and pragmatic response which details the issues the council is able and prepared to address within the next six months. However, it does invite the inspectors to “reconsider some of their soundness concerns, informed by the information we have provided in this letter”.

It also includes a project plan setting out the actions the council will take in the next six months to address some of the Inspectors’ concerns.

The letter adds:

“We recognise we require your [the Inspectors] approval to proceed given we are not proposing to meet all of your soundness concerns. Once you have considered this evidence, if you are in agreement with the council’s position, we will undertake the necessary additional work in accordance with the above Project Plan.

It asks for the inspectors’ ‘urgent consideration” of the letter and project plan, and that the council is informed of their views by Friday 28 February, warning that “any delay beyond this will inevitably result in the need to extend the project plan period by a commensurate amount”.

It goes on to stress that “If you are minded not to reconsider the issues we have requested, we see no alternative than for you to formally find the draft Shropshire Local Plan unsound and write to us on this basis requiring the withdrawal of the Plan and, as the law requires, your full and final reasons for the conclusions you have reached taking into account our response contained in this letter.”

Chris Schofield, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for planning and regulatory services, said:

“We’ve reflected upon the inspectors’ letter, and responding in full to all of the soundness concerns within the six month timeframe is not considered either possible or beneficial. But, neither do we wish to withdraw the draft Local Plan immediately.

“Our proposed response proposes a compromise position, where there is agreement to undertake further work on some issues, but clearly establishes the issues where we now request the inspectors reconsider their conclusions.

“Under this option it should be recognised there are issues where we may not fully agree with the conclusions of the inspectors, but are nevertheless willing to seek to undertake the work required within the six month timeframe in order to move forward positively.

“However, if the inspectors aren’t willing to accept our proposals it will be for them to find the Plan unsound and to write to us explaining why.”

The report to Cabinet also provides information on the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and its implications for decision making on planning applications and Local Plan preparation.