Context

1. DPD Examinations – PINS early ExperiencesNational Association for AONBsWorkshop 31 January 2007Ben Linscott, BSc MRTPI, Inspector Manager, The Planning Inspectorate

2. Context “Planning shapes the places where people live and work and the country we live in. It plays a key role in supporting the Government’s wider social, environmental and economic objectives and for sustainable communities.” - PPS1: Delivering Sustainable Development

3. Experience so far • 90 DPDs submitted for examination – 250 originally expected by now • Binding Reports issued on 6 Core Strategies + 5 other DPDs • 3 Core Strategies sound – South Cambs, South Hams & Horsham • 3 Unsound – Stafford, Lichfield & Ryedale • Lichfield allocations and DC DPDs failed as a result of failure of core strategy • 1 AAP (Biddulph Town centre) and 2 topic based DPDs (Affordable Housing and Open Space - Maidstone) found sound

4. New System, New culture,New mind-set ! • Some LPAs are still finding it difficult to think in strategic terms and reflect a spatial planning approach – commitment and delivery • Some appear to be producing re-branded local plans or UDPs demonstrating a failure to appreciate the advantages and benefits of the new system • Others parties are failing to properly engage with the LPA and ensure that all options are identified and considered early in the preparation process.

5. Spatial Planning PPS 12 “ Spatial Planning goes beyond traditional land use planning to bring together and integrate policies for the development and use of land with other policies and programmes which influence the nature of places and how they function.” • More than grant of permission for simple land use • Overarching strategy with links to other strategies. • Emphasis on visions and places • Flexible and responsive, not rigid and regulatory – about what can happen not what can’t.

6. Thinking strategically • Core strategies should seek to address the critically important strategic issues • Core strategies should be concise focused documents. Most should rarely need to extend beyond about 30 pages. • Planning Advisory Service (PAS) published guidance in December 2006 www.pas.gov.uk/pas/aio/31034

7. How to approach Core Strategy ? • what are the issues to be addressed ? • who needs to be engaged? • what possible strategies are there for addressing these ? • what strategy has been chosen and why? • what policies are needed to make the chosen strategy effective? • how and where should these be articulated in the LDF?

8. Alternative Spatial options “Options should be alternative strategic spatial options, effectively alternative scenarios for the future development of the area. These options should be consulted on.” (DCLG letter 11/08/06) Support with argument and evidence (with ref. to SA Report)

9. How to deliver ? • Having established the strategy devise locally distinctive policies that will deliver that strategy. • Local distinctiveness means that it relates to THIS area and addresses local issues. • Avoid policies which simply repeat what is covered by national or regional policy. • Test the strategy for resilience in the event that circumstances change

10. Evidence Base “The inadequacy of the evidence base is a fundamental failing under test 10. For a plan to be sound the evidence base must be both comprehensive and up-to-date on submission.” (Lichfield Inspector’s Report)

11. Sound when submitted ! • The submitted DPD is expected to be the plan that the local authority wants to adopt. So pre-examination changes should not be necessary. This isproving to be a major problem area as LPAs respond to submission representations with changes to the submitted plan. • A series of pre-examination changes suggests that the plan was not ready for submission and may well be unsound.

12. Remember Front Loading ! • Frontloading is a critical part of the LDF process. It means: • early engagement before key decisions made • bringing out issues and options • sharing information • gathering evidence • carrying out a thorough assessment • being prepared to take difficult decisions. • If properly done, the issues for the examination to focus upon should then be very clear.

13. Experience to date – procedural matters • Inspector will necessarily apply tests of soundness rigorously • Need for comprehensive evidence base at submission not always appreciated • Submitted DPD should be the last word of the LPA - the difficulty of post submission changes is clearly and repeatedly under-estimated • Inspector may not be able to change any unsound policies /statements in a DPD • If Core Strategy is unsound, it is likely any other accompanying DPDs will be unsound • Informal examination process a success

14. Experience to date – qualitative matters • Content of core strategies - note Planning Advisory Service (PAS) guidance • Avoid devolving important strategic decisions to lower level DPDs • Focus on local issues and local distinctiveness • Demonstrate proper consideration of options • Provide a robust and credible evidence base • Ensure implementation and monitoring properly addressed • Flexibility – what if?

15. Lessons Learned ….. • We are all still learning • Extent of culture change required by all interested in the planning system not yet appreciated. • Experiences at Stafford and Lichfield demonstrated the critical importance of the tests of soundness. • PINS “lessons learned” – more detail to be published soon

16. Contact details • Ben Linscott - Inspector Manager - SE • Room 3/12 Temple Quay House, 2 Market Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN • 0117 372 8955 • ben.linscott.p4@pins.gsi.gov.uk • Web site: http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/pins/index.htm