Local plan examination
The Local Plan: strategy and sites sets out the vision for the borough and our approach to development up to 2034. The plan plays an important role in shaping Guildford's future - how our towns and villages develop, protecting and enhancing our natural environment, developing our local economy, improving leisure and visitor facilities, and supporting more sustainable forms of travel.
Adoption of the Local Plan: strategy and sites
Council decided to adopt the new Local Plan on 25 April 2019. Documents considered at the Council meeting are available under the item on the Council's web page.
In line with requirements, the Council is now making available:
-
The Guildford borough Local Plan: strategy and sites (2015-2034) [11.24MB]
-
The Adoption Statement [167.68KB]
(which includes details of where the Guildford borough Local Plan: strategy and sites (2015-2034) is available for inspection and the places and times at which the document can be inspected)
- The Sustainability Appraisal report, 2017 and Non-technical Summary, 2017
The Sustainability Appraisal report, 2018 addendum and Non-technical Summary, 2018
In order to view paper copies, the documents listed above are also available for inspection at:
Guildford Borough Council (GBC) main offices at Millmead House, Millmead, Guildford, Surrey GU2 4BB (during normal office hours: 8:30am - 5pm - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and 8:30am - 4:30pm - Friday);
Ash Library, Ash Street, Ash, Surrey GU12 6LF (during library opening times: Monday: 2pm - 5pm; Tuesday: 10am - 1pm & 2pm - 5pm; Wednesday: Closed; Thursday: 10am - 1pm & 2pm - 5pm; Friday: 10am - 1pm & 2pm - 5pm; Saturday: 10am - 4pm; Sunday: Closed);
Guildford Library, 77 North Street, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4AL (during library opening times: Monday: 9.30am-5.30pm; Tuesday: 9.30am-7pm; Wednesday: 9.30am-5.30pm; Thursday: 9.30am-7pm; Friday: 9.30am-5.30pm; Saturday: 9.30am-5pm; Sunday: Closed);
Horsley Library, Parade Court, Ockham Road south, East Horsley, Surrey KT24 6QR (during library opening times: Monday: 2pm-5pm; Tuesday: 10am-1pm & 2pm-5pm; Wednesday: Closed; Thursday: 10am-1pm & 2pm-5pm; Friday: 10am-1pm & 2pm-5pm; Saturday: 10am-4pm; Sunday: Closed);
Shere Diamond Jubilee Library, Shere Village Hall, Gomshall Lane, Shere, Surrey GU5 9HD (during library opening times: Monday: 2.30pm - 4pm; Tuesday: Closed; Wednesday: 10.30am - 12.15pm & 2.15pm - 2.45pm for storytime - term time only; Thursday: Closed; Friday: 2.30pm - 4pm; Saturday: Closed; Sunday: Closed).
Adopted Policies Map
Following adoption of the Local Plan: strategy and sites, the Council will update the adopted policies map to reflect the new Local Plan and those elements of the Local Plan 2003 that have not been superseded.
The online interactive map will be available shortly. Paper copies will be available to both view and purchase in due course.
In the interim, please use the link below to access the updated maps, which formed part of previous iterations of the Local Plan: strategy and sites.
Temporary Policies Maps for the Local Plan [20.8MB]
The Inspector's report
The Inspector's final report published on 28 March is available below:
Further note on HRA
Prior to the Council meeting on 25 April, the Council were made aware of a series of queries raised in a technical note which reviewed the Council's January 2019 Addendum to the Guildford Local Plan HRA. Responses to key criticisms made in this note are reflected in the document below:
Response to Review of the Guildford Local Plan HRA addendum 2019 [98.98KB]
Councillor briefing
In advance of the Council meeting that considered the adoption of the Local Plan, a briefing session for councillors was held on 18 April 2019. The intent of the session included clarifying what actions are available to the Council following receipt of the Inspector's report and the closing of the Examination. It was also explained what the implications are should the Council decide not to adopt the plan and to embark upon the production of a new Local Plan outside of the transitional arrangements within which this plan has been assessed. A supporting document was prepared for this session:
Briefing Session for Councillors regarding the adoption of the new Local Plan [380.51KB]
*
*version updated: 18 April 2019
Examination
The Inspector has produced his final report and recommendations and submitted these to the Council. This report is available at the links at the top of the table below. It is also available at the Council's Millmead offices and at local libraries.
This marked the end of the Inspector's examination of the plan. We will consider his recommendations and the full Council will be asked to decide whether to adopt the new Local Plan.
The plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for Local Government on 13 December 2017 for independent examination. The planning inspector appointed by the Secretary of State is Mr Jonathan Bore BA MRTPI DipUD.
Public hearings were held from 5 June 2018 to 5 July 2018. At the close of these hearing sessions, the Inspector concluded that the plan could be found sound subject to main modifications being made.
The Council held a six-week public consultation on the proposed main modifications to the plan between 12 noon on 11 September 2018 and 12 noon on 23 October 2018.
A further set of hearings were held on 12 and 13 February 2019.
The final schedule of main modifications accompanying the Inspector's report contains only those main modifications recommended by the Inspector to make the submission plan sound and legally compliant and capable of adoption. The submission plan is available under our
table of submission core and supporting documents [701.64KB]
(see GBC-LPSS-CD-001a-d in this table). Several main modifications consulted upon in September / October 2018 (as per GBC-LPSS-026) were not recommended in the Inspector's final report. These include, for instance, four additional site allocations that are now not included as main modifications recommended by the Inspector.
Note: The Council has published an addendum to its Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) in light several recent European Court rulings. A covering note and the HRA addendum are available as
GBC-LPSS-40a [973.5KB]
and
GBC-LPSS-40b [609.55KB]
.
Programme Officer: Mr Chris Banks
A Programme Officer, Mr Chris Banks, of Banks Solutions, was appointed to manage the administration of the examination process on behalf of the appointed Inspector and acted as the liaison between the Inspector and representatives of the Council. The Programme Officer had no involvement with the preparation of the plan and reported directly to the Inspector.
Address: C/O Banks Solutions, 64 Lavinia Way, East Preston, West Sussex, BN16 1EF
Email: bankssolutionsuk@gmail.com
Tel: 01903 783722
Examination documents
Documents published during the Examination including immediately prior to, throughout and after the period of the Local Plan hearings are available to download from the table directly below and from the comprehensive lists of Examination documents following it:
The comprehensive lists of Examination documents produced by the Planning Inspector and Guildford Borough Council are listed below.
The Local Plan examination 2018/2019 representor statements can be found on these web pages:
List of representor statements - hearing 5 June to 5 July 2018
List of representor statements - hearing 12 and 13 February 2019
Matters and Issues for Examination
The questions raised in the Matters and Issues related to the Plan's soundness. These were addressed by the Council and other relevant parties in their hearing statements. They did not address every aspect of the plan; only those issues that the Inspector needed to know more about at this stage.
Where the Inspector considered that any matter had been satisfactorily addressed in the written statements it was not included in the agenda for the hearings.
The hearings are now complete.
Initial questions for the Council
The Inspector's initial questions were divided into two parts. The first section dealt with key questions.
The second section was a set of questions and comments, many of which required us to produce draft main modifications to the plan's policies and text.
These questions were answered in two parts. See documents GBC-LPSS-001 (and errata) and GBC-LPSS-002 in the table above.
Documents submitted
A full list of the documents supporting the Submission Local Plan published prior to the Local Plan hearings can be viewed in a table by clicking on the link below. The submission documentation included the Submission Local Plan: strategy and sites (2017); a Schedule of Proposed Minor Modifications, a Consultation Statement (containing the main issues raised during the 2016 and 2017 Regulation 19 consultations, and the two earlier Regulation 18 consultations on the plan, and our responses to those representations). All documents in this table are available to download from web links:
Submission core and supporting documents [701.64KB]
Hard copies of any of the documents in the table are available for inspection at the Council offices in Millmead during our normal opening hours.
Committee decisions
At its meeting on 20 November 2017, the Council's Executive committee resolved to seek the agreement of Full Council for approval to submit the Submission Local Plan (2017) and accompanying documents to the Secretary of State for independent examination.
Full Council then considered these items on 21 November 2017 and approved the decision to submit the plan. The report and minutes for the Full Council meeting are available to download and view from the Agenda and minutes web page.
Regulation 19 Consultation
We consulted on the Proposed Submission Local Plan: strategy and sites (2016) between 6 June and 18 July 2016, in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.
To take account of further work and the responses received during this consultation we proposed changes to the plan and updated part of the evidence base that informed its preparation. The Proposed Submission Local Plan: Strategy and sites (2017) included these proposed changes. A further Regulation 19 consultation on these proposed changes was held between 9 June and 24 July 2017.
To see these, and earlier versions of the Local Plan please visit the Previous Consultations web page.
Regulation 19 Representations
Representations from both the 2016 and 2017 consultations on the Regulation 19 Submission Local Plan are available to download from our Planning Policy Consultations web pages.
Purchasing a hard copy of the Submission Local Plan
A hard copy of the Submission Local Plan (2017) (including maps) can be purchased from Guildford Borough Council for a cost of £42.50 plus postage costs (£5.50 for first class, £3.00 for second class. Additional postage costs may apply if ordering more than one copy). Please call 01483 444471 or email planningpolicy@guildford.gov.uk to request a copy.
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