BCP Council has sent its formal response to the Planning Inspectorate following the rejection of its draft Local Plan.

It is essentially a holding letter which says the local authority will consider its next steps at a cabinet meeting in May and then its full council meeting in June – both some time away.

Our Planning Director Adam Bennett says: “It is disappointing that BCP Council are taking time to accept the position as set out by Inspectors Ms Hockenhull and Mr Hatfield.

“Their initial response, pursuant to the Stage 1 Examination Hearing Sessions could not have been clearer; there is no way back for the BCP Local Plan as currently prepared, the Council are not considered to have met with the Duty to Co-operate, and indeed that is not a matter that can be addressed post submission of the Local Plan for examination.

“It is hoped that, in the background, BCP Council are pushing ahead with work on preparing a new Local Plan, as without doing so, we are unlikely to expect a new planning strategy for the BCP Council area for some years to come.

“This is against the backdrop of the Council claiming, in accordance with the January 2025 updated to its Housing Land Supply Position, that it can deliver just 2.1 years’ worth of housing.

“The BCP Conurbation is in proper need of a new considered strategy to help meet local needs and we hope that BCP Council are prepared to make the tough decisions that are needed, releasing Green Belt and giving a broader consideration to a general increase in development densities, that is really needed to deliver an appropriately aspirational plan for the area.”

With government reforms and the comments provided by the planning inspectors, surely the direction of travel is clear and there is no time to waste.

Please feel free to contact us for more information about how the Local Plan issues will affect your plans or project.