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Local Plan Examination

News Archives October 2014 - February 2015 (Housing Hearings)

Further Hearing Documents

16 February 2015
Little Baddow Parish Council Note and Essex County Council's Response to Little Baddow Parish Council. The Inspector will not be accepting comments on this except from Little Baddow Parish Council.

Inspector's Revised Letter IED15

09 February 2015
The Inspector sets out the timings for the future Examination (IED15) process of the Maldon District Local Development Plan. These were set out on the last day of the housing and legal compliance hearings on Wednesday, 4 February 2015. The timings for the later hearings are based on the assumption that he finds the housing policies to be sound and the Plan to be legal compliant (albeit with recommended main modifications) so that the Examination can continue.

Environment Agency Correspondence

19 January 2015
The Inspector has asked the Council to seek clarification from the Environment Agency with regards to the future ownership and maintenance of the North Heybridge Strategic Flood Alleviation Scheme. Please see document EB100 for MDC's letter and EB101 for the Environment Agency's response.

Publication of the Hearing Statements and additional information

12 January 2015
The Council has submitted its Hearing Statement for the hearing sessions on housing policies and its associated legal compliance of the Maldon District Local Development Plan. Accompanying the Hearing Statements are six appendices:

High Court Case Kendall v Rochford District Council

08 January 2015
The Inspector has asked for this High Court case to be drawn to participants' attention because it deals with the legal requirements for public consultation and sustainability appraisal. It may be of relevance to the hearings, particularly that concerning legal compliance on the afternoon of Wednesday, 21 January 2015. The main findings in relation to public consultation are at paragraphs 50 to 76.

Publication of the Matters, Issues and Questions

01 December 2014
The Inspector has released his Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) for the hearing sessions on housing policies and its associated compliance of the Maldon District Local Development Plan. These MIQs are released in accordance to paragraph 23 of the Inspector's Guidance Notes (IED12) which can be found on the Examination page.

This part of the Examination is scheduled to take eight days starting from Tuesday, 20 January 2015. Hearing sessions are on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only. A copy of the Draft Hearing Programme has been made available here.

Please check this 'Examination Page' for further updates.

Inspector's Letter IED14

16 October 2014
The Inspector (IED14) has responded to the Council's letter CED13 of 10 October.

Council's Letter CED13

10 October 2014
The Council has written to the Inspector following his Notification Letter (IED11 & IED12). This letter, regarding clarification on some parts of the Inspector's Notification Letter, can be accessed by clicking here.

Inspector's Letter IED13 Retail and Employment

07 October 2014
The Council has received the following letter from the Inspector regarding the timing of additional retail and employment evidence. This evidence will be submitted for the second part of the examination which the Inspector estimates would be completed by late Spring or early Summer 2015. Please access the document for further details, click here (IED13).

Examination Hearing Sessions - Housing Policies IED11 and IED12

07 October 2014
The Inspector has now decided to proceed to hearings but only on the soundness of the Plan's housing policies and its associated legal compliance. He will then produce his interim conclusions on those aspects of the Plan. If these are favourable he will then continue with further hearings on the remaining Plan policies and a report containing his recommendations and the reasons for them under section 20 of the 2004 Act.

The timetable for the housing hearings are:

  • Monday 1 December 2014 - Publication of the Inspector's Matters, Issues and Questions' for participants to reply to in their Statements
  • Friday 10 January 2015 - Deadline for the submission of written hearing statements
  • Tuesday 20 January 2015 (possibly 3 weeks duration) - Hearing Sessions

The hearings will be held at:

  • Three Rivers Golf & Country Club, Stow Road, Cold Norton, Purleigh, Essex, CM3 6RR

It is important that all participants read the Notification Letter and the Inspector's Guidance Notes which includes further details on how the Local Plan will be examined.