Proposed Changes to the Core Strategy
The Council proposed some minor and significant changes to the draft Core Strategy. These arose from consideration of comments on the draft Core Strategy and responding to the Inspector’s preliminary comments and questions. The Council consulted on these changes between 19th September and 21st October 2011 (click here for more details).
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Pre-Hearing Meeting
A Pre-Hearing Meeting took place on Friday, 18th November 2011 in the Brunswick Room, The Guildhall, Bath. This meeting was principally to discuss the administrative arrangements and procedures for the Examination Hearings. It aimed to help the Inspector and all the interested parties prepare for the Examination. The Inspector outlined how the Examination will be conducted and the procedures to be followed. The agenda is available below:
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Examination Hearings
The Examination Hearings are scheduled to begin at 10:00 am on Tuesday 17th January 2012. They will be taking place at the Guildhall in Bath.
The Inspector has issued a programme for the hearings, along with a series of issues and questions he is seeking to address through the hearings (ID/7). The Inspector has issued a supplementary note to the Main Issues and Questions document (ID/8). These documents are available below:
Programme for the Hearings
Main Matters and Questions for the Hearings (ID/7)
Inspector's note on the duty to cooperate (ID/8)
Examination Hearings Statements
The Council has submitted statements to the Inspector responding to the main issues and questions set out in ID/7:
The Council has submitted the following Statements of Comon Ground/Agreement to the Inspector:
Participants at the Examination Hearings were invited by the Inspector to submit statements responding to the questions in the Draft Examination Hearings Programme. These statements can be viewed here.
Pegasus Planning have submitted a legal opinion on Section 110 of the Localism Act and SEA. The Council's response can be found here (BNES/21).
The Inspector has issued a note regarding consideration of the Bath Flood Compensation Scheme issue at the Examination Hearings (ID/9). This document is available here. The Inspector has also begun issuing the agenda for the Examination Hearings (see below).
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Examination Hearings Agenda
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Notes issues during the Examination Hearings
The Inspector has issued a note on the implications of S112 of the Localism Act which can be accessed by clicking here (ID/15). The Council's response to ID/15 can be found here (BNES/22).
Ian Dove QC, on behalf of Robert Hitchens Ltd produced a note on Section 110 and 112 of the Localism Act, this note is available by clicking here. The Council agreed to prepare a response following this note for the Inspector & examination participants. This note (BNES/23) is available by clicking here.
The Inspector has issued notes on (please click on the respective hyperlinks to view them):
Other participants of the Examination have sent responses to the Inspector’s note on SHLAA sites within the Somer Valley. These responses can be accessed here. The Council’s response (BNES/35) can be accessed here.
The Council has issued the following notes and responses (please click on the respective hyperlinks to view them):
Other Participants' responses to the Council's statements (listed above) can be accessed here.
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Informal Changes to the Core Strategy
As part of the Examination Hearings the Council has suggested some informal changes to the submitted Core Strategy. These changes have arisen through discussion at the Examination Hearings or consideration of comments by the Inspectors or obejctors. If the Inspector considers that these changes are needed to overcome concerns about soundness of the submitted Core Strategy, they will need to be included in his Report and then formally considered by the Council and subject to consultation after the Hearings. The schedule of changes can be accessed here.
The informal changes to the Core Strategy suggested by the Council, as well as many of the notes and responses by the Council listed above were available for comment until 21st February 2012. The comments received by interested parties can be accessed here.
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The Inspector's invitation to comment on the implications of the NPPF and Policy for Traveller Sites
Submitted responses to the Planning Inspector's invitation for comments on the implications of the NPPF and Policy for Travellers Sites are available via the Participants' Statements page which is available here.
The Council's response to ID27 (BNES/38) is available here as is the SHLAA Housing Trajectory, April 2012 (CD4/H18 in the Core Documents List).
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