Correspondence

Local Plans: letter to the Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate

This letter sets out the government’s position on examining Local Plans and links to wider measures the government will take to improve plan-making.

• From: Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2018 to 2021) and The Rt Hon Greg Clark
• Published: 21 July 2015

This was published under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government

Documents

Letter from Greg Clark (Secretary of State) to Simon Ridley (Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate) 21 July 2015

PDF, 75.6 KB, 2 pages

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Details

This letter explains recent progress in plan-making and the value of getting Local Plans in place, even if imperfect in some respects.

The letter:

• sets out the government’s view on how inspectors should achieve a sound Local Plan
• highlights the potential use of early review in plan-making to address issues which are not critical to the plan’s soundness or legal compliance
• links to a ministerial statement made to Parliament which sets out the wider measures the government will take to improve plan-making

In June 2019 we published another letter setting out changes to the arrangements between the Planning Inspectorate and MHCLG for sharing factual information relating to local plan examinations. This reiterates the points set out by the Rt Hon Greg Clark MP here, on the need for inspectors to work pragmatically with councils towards achieving a sound plan.

In July 2024, the government published a letter updating the expectation on how examinations should be conducted in regard to ‘pragmatism’.

Published 21 July 2015