Bracknell Forest Council has received a letter from the Local Plan examiners setting out their main findings. It was published on the Council website on 25 January 2023,
The examiners find that the Plan meets the Duty to Co-operate, is legally compliant and with some modifications the Plan can be made sound - and adopted. This is a position very many Councils find themselves in at this point in an examination.
Cllr Chris Turrell, executive member for planning and transport at Bracknell Forest, said: "We welcome the inspectors' letter because it brings clarity to the process. It shows that evidence and representations from local groups has been considered throughout the process. This next phase does not allow us to rewrite the plan but just to address the suggested modifications and pass on any comments from the consultation for the inspectors to consider."
It means that the huge amount of work, time and expense in getting the Plan this far has not been wasted.
In an appendix to their letter, the Inspectors have set out a schedule of what modifications are required to make the plan sound.
The most significant modification to the Plan is their view that the Jealotts Hill proposal (LP7) does not sufficiently justify the exceptional circumstances test that is required to alter the boundaries of the Green Belt. So they are requesting that the undeveloped land remain designated as Green Belt.
For some, this is a disappointing conclusion, albeit one where the Council understood that this was a high test to meet. However, it was important to put the question of Green Belt release to the rigorous scrutiny of a local plan examination, and this finding means the undeveloped land on the LP7 site cannot be built on.
The economic considerations of the deletion of policy LP7 (Syngenta) are not to be regarded lightly. The inspectors consider that more intensive use of the site for employment is possible, but acknowledge that a strategic decision could be made for Syngenta to leave the site. We are very sensitive to the fact that there are over 800 jobs at the site.
The existing developed part of the site can still be subject to a planning application for a much smaller number of houses or employment space.
The examiners have also suggested deletion of 3 smaller allocations: at land opposite Popes Meadow Binfield (BIN10b), and two smaller sites at Lower Church Road Sandhurst (SAND 9 & 10). These account for about 50 houses.
Significantly, the Inspectors are clear that there is no requirement to allocate any additional sites to replace these sites and that the plan without these allocations could still meet Bracknell Forest's housing need. With an adopted plan, Bracknell Forest would have up-to-date planning policies and a 5-year housing land supply.
The increase to ensure a 35 per cent affordable housing policy is also supported. This will allow the delivery of more social housing and for those aspiring to home ownership more intermediate (shared equity) housing.
The council’s commitment to ensuring employment spaces other than in LP7 are provided to maintain local prosperity is also supported by the inspectors.
Officers are working through the detail of the letter and its appendix of proposed modifications, in order to set out the timeframes involved in getting the plan to adoption. The adopted Plan would run until 2037.
An adopted Plan with up-to-date planning policies would be used to enable planning decisions on sustainable high quality development in the right locations, protect against speculative development, and protect features of local value.