Examination of the local plan

The Borough Local Plan 2013 -2033: Submission version (BLPSV) was submitted to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for independent examination on Wednesday 31 January 2018.

The Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State to examine the BLPSV is Louise Phillips MA MSc MRTPI.

Please see below the latest news on the progress of the examination since the submission of the plan:

The Council has now received the Inspector’s Report on the Borough Local Plan and the Examination is now closed.  The Inspector’s Report concludes that the Plan is sound, subject to Main Modifications.  It can be viewed at:

• Final Inspector’s Report (ID-34).
• Appendix 1 – Schedule of Main Modifications (ID-34a).
• Appendix 2 – Modifications to Green Belt Boundary Alterations (ID-34b).
• Appendix 3 – Modifications to Site Proformas (ID-34c).

Further information on how to view the Inspector’s Report is given in:

• Notification of Publication of the Inspector’s Report.
•  A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) note is available.

• The council published the representations received in response to the Proposed Main Modifications to the BLP Submission Version Consultation.
• The council consulted on the Proposed Main Modifications from Monday 19 July 2021 to Sunday 5 September 2021.
• The council published BLPSV-PC-030a (October 2019) - Errata sheet for the Sequential and Exception Test with reference to site allocation AL14
• The council published RBWM_044.V2 - a note to the inspector on implications of new flood modelling and mapping (With correct maps in Appendix 1). Please see RBWM_088 and RBWM_088a for explanation
• The council published RBWM_073b - Update note to Inspector on stepped housing requirement and RBWM_058a - Response to Inspector’s Post Hearing Advice Letter (ID-33) in relation to Custom and Self-Build Housing
• The council published the remaining post-hearing action notes RBWM_076 to RBWM_088
• The council published RBWM_061a - Post-hearing action note - WK3-22 Addendum Note re QP5 Rural Development policy and RBWM_073a - Response to Inspector's request for clarification re: WK5-01
• The Inspector published ID-33a - Inspector's Stage 2 Post-Hearing Advice Addendum
• The Inspector published ID-33 - Stage 2 post-hearings advice letter
• The council published its completed Stage 2 post-hearing action notes. Please note, the council is in the process of completing the remaining Stage 2 post-hearing action notes. Documents RBWM_057 to RBWM_075 represent the notes submitted to the Inspector before the publication of her Stage 2 post-hearing advice letter. The remaining action notes will be published once they have been completed and submitted to the Inspector.
• The Inspector issued the following update on Friday 5 March 2021:
  Further to the Programme Officer's update on the 28 January 2021, the council have now completed a proportion of their post hearing actions, specifically the actions the Inspector had asked the council to prioritise to help inform her post hearing letter. The Inspector is currently reviewing the actions prior to publishing her post hearing letter. Once the Inspector has reviewed the actions she has received they will be published, followed shortly by the Inspectors post hearing letter.
• The council published PS/061 - Statement of common ground (socg) between the council and the promoters of the proposed allocation on land south west of Maidenhead (AL13)
• The council published RBWM_056 - a technical note re safe access to land east of Strande Park (AL38) in the event of a flood
• The council published RBWM_055 - a letter to the Inspector requesting recommendation of major modifications
• The council published RBWM_054 - a note to the Inspector on the River Thames Scheme
• The Inspector published ID-32 V4 - Programme for Housing Trajectory Hearing Day 15 9 December 2020
• The council published documents requested by the Inspector relating to AL32 Sandridge House - RBWM_053A - Development Control Panel, RBWM_053B - Historic England Decision Summary, RBWM_053C - Pre-app letter, RBWM_053D - Pre-app response
• The Inspector published ID-32 V3 - Programme for Housing Trajectory Hearing Day 15 9 December 2020
• The Inspector published ID-32 V2 - Programme for Housing Trajectory Hearing Day 15 9 December 2020
• The Inspector published ID-32 - Programme for Housing Trajectory Hearing - Day 15 - 9 December
• The Inspector published ID-31 - RBWM Stage 2 Hearing Agenda Day 15 Housing Trajectory
• The council published RBWM_052 -  the decision notice for planning application 19/01755/FULL Squires Garden Centre, Maidenhead Road, Windsor as requested by the Inspector
• The council published RBWM_051 - the officer report for planning application 19/01755/FULL Squires Garden Centre, Maidenhead Road, Windsor as requested by the Inspector 
• The council published RBWM_050 - the planning committee report on the Aldi application for Windsor Garden Centre, Dedworth Road, Windsor as requested by the Inspector
• The council published RBWM_049 - a note to the Inspector on the housing trajectory and supporting information for the hearing session on 9 December
• The council published RBWM_048 - a map of Poundfield and the narrow stretch of The Pound requested by the Inspector

• The Programme Officer published further information on the arrangements for the additional Local Plan hearing session on Wednesday 9 December 2020  to discuss the Local Plan Housing Trajectory:

  - The council’s revised trajectory and supporting information is to reach the Programme Officer for distribution to participants and publication on the website by Friday 27 November 2020. See ID-26 - letter to the council re document PS/058 for the scope of the work being carried out by the council.

  - The further hearing to discuss the housing trajectory is on Wednesday 9 December, commencing 9.30am and concluding by 4pm. Only Participants from the week 2 hearing session (Matter 3 Issue 2) are permitted to participate.

  - The further hearing will provide the opportunity for participants to comment on the revised trajectory and supporting information, and the Inspector will not accept further written comments at this time.

  - The Inspector’s closing remarks on Wednesday 9 December will follow the housing session after a short break. (Time cannot be specified).

  - The further hearing session on the Wednesday 9 December will be live streamed on the council’s YouTube channel

• The Inspector published ID-16v12 Stage 2 - Provisional Programme (V12)
• The council published two maps requested by the Inspector re the Aldi planning application (20/01145) near AL21 - RBWM_046 - proposed site plan and RBWM_047 - location plan
• The council published RBWM_045 - a note to the Inspector on inconsistencies in Ascot terminology
• The council published RBWM_044 - a note to the Inspector on implications of new flood modelling and mapping Now superseded RBWM_044v2
• The council published two maps requested by the Inspector for week 4 of the hearings - RBWM_042 - Map of AL40 in relation to Mildridge Farm and surrounding woodland and RBWM_043 - Map of AL21 in relation to the Cardinal Clinic and The Old Farmhouse
• The council published RBWM_041 - RBWM's Housing Return (HFR) 2019-20.pdf
• The council published a note to the Inspector re the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) referenced RBWM_40 - note to Inspector on the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) and RBWM_40 Appendix 1 -  IDP
• The Inspector published ID-16v11 Stage 2 - Provisional Programme (V11)
• The council published two maps requested by the Inspector for Matter 5 - RBWM_038 - map of Maidenhead town centre in relation to AL8 and RBWM_039 - Windsor town centre in relation to car parks
• The Inspector published ID-30 - RBWM Stage 2 Matter 11 Hearing Agenda (Days 12-14 Week 4)
• The Inspector published ID-16v10 Stage 2 - Provisional Programme (V10)
• The Inspector published ID-16v9 Stage 2 - Provisional Programme (V9)
• The Inspector published the Stage 2 Hearings agendas for Week 3 (9 - 12 November 2020)
• The Inspector has sent ID-26 - letter to the council re document PS/058 to the Council. The Inspector will hold a hearing to discuss the updated information in ID-26 on Wednesday 9 December commencing at 9.30am and participants in the original Matter 3 Issues 2 and 3https://www.rbwm.gov.uk/home/planning/planning-policy/emerging-plans-and-policies/draft-borough-local-plan/examination-local-plan/inspectors-documents hearing are invited to attend.
• The Council has published PS/058 - further background information on the BLP Housing Trajectory.
• The Inspector published ID-16v8 Stage 2 - Provisional Programme (V8)
• The Inspector published the Stage 2 Hearings agendas for Week 2 (20 - 22 October 2020)
• The Inspector published ID-16v7 Stage 2 - Provisional Programme (V7)
• The Inspector published ID-16v6 Stage 2 - Programme Week one Commencing 0510
• The Inspector published the Stage 2 Hearings agendas for Week 1 (5 - 8 October 2020)
• The Inspector published the ID-17v2- Virtual Hearings Guidance for the RBWM Stage 2 Hearings
• A revised ID-16v5 - Stage 2 Hearing Sessions - Provisional Programme (V5) has been published
• The programme officer has written to the representors regarding the council’s response to the Inspector’s letter on the 2018 Household Projections
• The council published RBWM_026 - council’s response to the Inspector’s letter on the 2018 Household Projections
• The Inspector published ID-16 - Stage 2 Hearings Sessions – Provisional Programme
• The council published all of the Stage 2 Matter Statements.
• The Regulation 24 notification containing the dates and process for the stage 2 hearings was published by the council.

The stage 2 hearing sessions will run for four weeks (Monday - Friday):

• 5 October to 9 October 2020 (week 1)
• 19 October to 23 October 2020 (week 2)
• 9 November to 13 November 2020 (week 3) and
• 16 November to 20 November 2020 (week 4/reserve day)

View the full examination library.

• The Inspector released ID-15 - a letter regarding 2018-Based Household Projections.
• Update from the Inspector Friday 5 June 2020:

Having regard to Government guidance in the Written Ministerial Statement of Wednesday 13 May, the Inspector has decided to publish her Matters Issues and Questions (MIQs) for Stage 2 of the Examination.  View the ID-14 - Stage 2 Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) and ID-13 - explanatory Guidance Note.  The Inspector has invited written statements in response to her MIQs by Friday 7 August 2020 and set an earlier deadline of Friday 3 July 2020 for participants to notify the Programme Officer about whether they wish to appear at hearings if they have a right to do so.  Hearing dates are yet to be set, but any necessary events are likely to commence in the autumn.  At present, face to face hearings are not possible and so, unless the guidance changes, these would take the form of virtual/digital events assisted by technology.  The situation will be monitored and further information will be provided in due course.

• The council published the representations the council received in response to the 2019 Proposed Changes to the BLP Submission Version Consultation.
• The Inspector released ID-12 - the Royal Borough Position Statement Tuesday 31 March 2020
• We are currently working with the Inspector to put together a position statement regarding the next steps for the BLP examination.  This position statement should be on the website shortly and will be kept updated as required.           
• The additional work requested by the Inspector has now been completed and series of Proposed Changes to the BLPSV to address concerns about the soundness of the submitted plan were approved by full council on 23 October 2019 for public consultation. Representations on the proposed changes and supporting documents were invited from Friday 1 November 2019 until midnight on 15 December 2019. See our Proposed Changes to the BLP Submission Version webpage for further details.
• The council sent RBWM_025 - Council's comprehensive response to ID10 to the Inspector on 26 July 2019. See also the ID-11 - Inspector's response.
• The council provided the Inspector with RBWM_024 - a further update at the end of May 2019. See also ID-10 - Inspector's response.
• At the beginning of May 2019 the council provided the Inspector with RBWM_023 - an update on its progress with the workstreams it was undertaking during the pause period.  In reply, the Inspector indicated that she will respond once the council's position on the nature of future consultation has been received at the end of May.
• The Inspector issued the following update in February 2019:

"I await an update on the council's additional work and its implications for the submitted plan and the examination.  I understand that the council will not be in a position to undertake any necessary consultation until the end of May 2019, but look forward to receiving any further programming information".

• The council provided RBWM_021 - a response to ID-09v2 in December 2018 updating the Inspector on work being undertaken by the council on the main issues identified in the regulation 20 representations. The council also indicated that it would be consulting on the outcome of this additional work after the 'all out' elections in May 2019.  The Inspector would be advised of the definitive dates for the consultation once these were known. Further legal submissions were also issued by the council.
• The Inspector issued ID-09v2 - a reply to RBWM_018v2 in November, indicating that the council was in effect asking for a lengthy pause to the examination process and requesting information from the council on how it wished to proceed in light of the matters/concerns she raised. 
• The council provided RBWM_018v2 - an interim response to the advice note in September 2018 with the full response sent to the Inspector on Friday 26 October 2018.
• Following these hearings the Inspector issued ID-07 - a further advice note to the council in July 2018. The Inspector also invited RBWM_017 - further legal submissions from the Council and several other parties.
• Stage 1 hearings took place from Tuesday 26 - Thursday 28 June 2018.
• The relevant parties, including the council submitted their responses to the MIQ's in early June.
• The Inspector decided to hold hearings to assist her with the examination of the plan.  She determined to hold the hearings in stages and issued  her ID-03 - Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) for the Stage 1 hearings in May 2018.
• The Inspector issued ID-02 - a further set of questions to the council in early May 2018.  The council sent RBWM_002 - a response to ID-02 in mid May 2018.
• The Inspector issued a set of ID-01 - initial questions in March 2018 for the council to answer. The council sent RBWM_001 - a response to ID-01 in April 2018.

On-going correspondence between the Inspector and the council can be seen on the Inspector's documents  and council's documents pages.  Submissions from representors can be viewed on the representor's documents pages - representor's documents - stage 1 and representor's documents - stage 2.

Examination Library

A complete list of the documents relevant to the examination is available in the examination library index. The documents in the library will help support the examination through-out its duration. 

More information can be found on the examination library page.

Programme Officer

The Programme Officer (PO) manages the administrative and procedural matters of the examination process and acts as a liaison between the council, the Inspector and participants in the examination.  The PO has no involvement with the preparation of the BLPSV and reports directly to the Inspector.  

More information can be found on the Programme Officer page.

The council has appointed Charlotte Glancy, of Banks Solutions to act as the PO for the BLPSV examination. 

More information can be found on the Programme Officer page..