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Local Plan 2040 Examination - Overview

The Review of the Bedford Local Plan (adopted 15 January 2020) was submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination on 12 January 2023.

Inspector

Mr Darren McCreery MA BA (Hons) MRTPI from the Planning Inspectorate has been appointed by the Secretary of State to carry out the independent Examination of the Local Plan Review.

The Inspector’s task is to consider the soundness of the submitted Plan (para 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework July 2021) and whether it has been prepared in accordance with the legal and procedural requirements. 

Plans are sound if they are:

  1. Positively prepared – providing a strategy which, as a minimum, seeks to meet the area’s objectively assessed needs; and is informed by agreements with other authorities, so that unmet need from neighbouring areas is accommodated where it is practical to do so and is consistent with achieving sustainable development;
  2. Justified – an appropriate strategy, taking into account the reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate evidence;
  3. Effective – deliverable over the plan period, and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic matters that have been dealt with rather than deferred, as evidenced by the statement of common ground; and
  4. Consistent with national policy – enabling the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in this Framework and other statements of national planning policy, where relevant.

Further information on the Examination Process

Please see the relevant pages on GOV.UK:

Programme Officer

Louise St John Howe has been appointed as the Programme Officer for the examination of the Local Plan. She is an independent Officer of the examination working on behalf of the Inspectors organising and managing the administrative and procedural matters of the examination process.

The Programme Officer is the point of contact for any queries concerning the examination and Louise can be contacted by email at louise@poservices.co.uk or by telephone on 07789 486419.

Any matters that anyone wishes to raise with the Inspector should be submitted through the Programme Officer. 

Programme Officer contact details

Louise St John Howe
Programme Officer,
PO Services,
PO Box 10965,
Sudbury
Suffolk CO10 3BF

Telephone: 07789486419
Email: louise@poservices.co.uk