Barnet Local Plan review: examination in public

Latest news

Updated 07 November 2024

The Council has now received the Planning Inspector's report.

The Inspector’s report concludes that the duty to cooperate has been met, and that subject to the recommended Main Modifications set out in the Appendix of the report, the Barnet Local Plan 2021 to 2036 is legally compliant, sound and in general conformity with the London Plan. The Council will now proceed with the adoption of the Local Plan.

The Proposed Main Modifications to the Local Plan were subject to public consultation over a six-week period. The Council has provided its response on the consultation to the Inspectors which is listed as EXAM 158 and EXAM 158A below. All representations received in response to the consultation with the Council’s response to the Inspector are listed on the webpage for Barnet’s Main Modification to the local Plan.

Local Plan Examination Hearings

The Barnet Local Plan Examination hearing sessions commenced on Tuesday 20 September 2022 in Hendon Town Hall. They progressed in accordance with the published programme and closed on Friday 11 November 2022.

The Inspectors submitted their Post Hearings Letter to the Council in August 2023:

EXAM 143 - Inspectors' Interim Findings and Next Steps Letter - August 2023 (PDF, 0.3MB)

EXAM 143A - Inspectors' Interim Findings and Next Steps Letter Appendix - August 2023 (PDF, 0.3MB)

The Council has worked with the Inspectors, through the Programme Officer, to finalise the wording of proposed Main Modifications, together with any necessary updates to the Sustainability Appraisal, Habitat Regulations Assessment and Policies Map.

Further updates in relation to the consultation will be provided on the Examination website in due course.

The Inspectors

Planning Inspectors Gareth Wildgoose B.Sc (Hons) MSc MRTPI and Mark Philpott BA (Hons) MA MRTPI have been appointed to undertake an independent examination into the soundness and legal compliance of the London Borough of Barnet’s Local Plan (the Plan).

The Inspectors’ task will be to consider the soundness and legal compliance of the submitted Plan, based on the criteria set out in paragraph 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2019 (the Framework) and associated regulations.

This includes the:

Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
Localism Act 2011
Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Inspectors will take into account the representations submitted upon the Regulation 19 Draft Plan as far as they relate to soundness considerations.

A number of informal debates will take place on the principal matters identified by the Inspector, these are called Hearing Sessions.

At the end of the examination, the Inspectors will prepare a report to the council with precise recommendations, these may include changes to the Plan, if a request is made by us.

Guidance notes have been prepared by the Inspectors to help people understand the process and will be available on this page.

Procedural guidance for Local Plans (PDF, 0.2 MB)

has also been produced by the Planning Inspectorate.

Any queries people may have regarding the Examination process should be directed to the Programme Officer who will be happy to assist.

The Programme Officer

The Programme Officer, Ian Kemp, will act as the contact for any person who has an interest in the Examination and as a liaison between the Inspectors, Council and Representors.

He is an independent Officer of the Examination and works on behalf of the Inspector to organise and manage the administrative and procedural elements of the Examination process.

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

Contact details:

Ian Kemp
Programme Officer
PO Box 241
Droitwich,
WR9 1DW

Mobile: 0772 300 9166

Email: idkemp@icloud.com

Hearing sessions venue and timetable

Hearing Sessions will commence at 09.30am on Tuesday 20 September 2022 in Committee Rooms 1 and 2 of Hendon Town Hall, The Burroughs, Hendon, NW4 4BG.

Barnet Council e-newsletter

Barnet Local Plan review: examination in public

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Latest news

Local Plan Examination Hearings

The Inspectors

The Programme Officer

Hearing sessions venue and timetable

Written Statements

Matter 1: Legal Compliance and the Duty to Co-operate

Matter 2: Spatial Strategy and Strategic Policies

Matter 3: Meeting the Borough’s Housing Needs

Matter 5: Climate Change, Environment and Green Belt

Matter 6: Transport, Communications and Infrastructure

Matter 7: Viability and Policy Requirements

Matter 8 Written Statements - Design Tall Buildings Heritage

Matter 9 Written Statements - Parks and Open Space

Matter 10 Written Statements - Site Allocations

Documents

Core and base documents

Examination documents