Object

Representation ID: 9070

Received: 12/11/2021

Respondent: Colmworth Parish Council

Agent: Troy Planning + Design

17. Lack of Local Engagement & Support
17.1. The NPPF requires that local plans are “shaped by early, proportionate and effective engagement between plan-makers and communities, local organisations, businesses, infrastructure providers and operators and statutory consultees”. CPC considers there to be no evidence of how early engagement with key stakeholders has taken place to shape the Draft Local Plan.
17.2. Given BBC’s chosen timetable for preparing the Local Plan, whereby the next stage of the local plan process is a Pre-Submission (Regulation 19) published for representations, there will have been no opportunity for anyone to be consulted on the selected Local Plan proposals. The current Regulation 18 consultation is one on ‘potential options’ with the majority of the evidence base absent. Following the current Regulation 18 consultation BBC proposes to move directly to preparing its Regulation 19 Local Plan (‘Publication’ plan) – the period for representations to which interested parties can respond is not a consultation, it is limited to matters of legal compliance and soundness. As the PPG explains, the Pre-Submission plan “should be the document that the local authority considers ready for examination…this provides a formal opportunity for the local community and other interests to consider the local plan, which the local planning authority would like to adopt”