Local Plan Examination Archived Latest News

10 November 2021 – Responses to the Errata consultation may be viewed via Examination library entry EL12.013.  The Inspectors are now giving consideration to these and the earlier Modifications consultation. An update on the progress of the Examination will be provided in the weeks ahead – in the meantime no further submissions should be made unless specifically requested by the Inspectors.

25 October 2021 – Responses to the recent Modifications consultation are now available in the Examination library via entries EL12.012a/b/c/d/e.

20 October 2021 – the consultation on Main Modifications ended recently and responses are now receiving the Inspectors’ attention.  The additional small consultation concerning Errata documents continues until 5pm on Tuesday 9 November – library documents EL12.009-011 relate.

28 September 2021 – following the commencement of the consultation on the proposed Main Modifications to the Local Plan on the 3rd of September 2021 the Council have now uploaded Errata documents for both the Schedule of Proposed Main Modifications to the Local Plan and the Schedule of Proposed Policy Map Modifications. These proposed amendments to both documents and are further explained within each Errata.

07 September 2021 - responses in respect of the recent Green Belt Compensation Measures Consultation have now been added to the Examination Library as items EL11.002a/b/c/d/e.  These have also been provided in full to the Inspectors.

06 September 2021 - the Council has uploaded an updated version of the September 2021 Sustainability Appraisal which includes a small amendment to reflect the revised wording of policy SD4. This has been added to Examination Library 12 as item EL12.003.

03 September 2021 - The Council has commenced a consultation of proposed Main Modifications to the Local Plan – responses will be forwarded in due course to the Inspectors and also posted on this webpage, but in the first instance responses should be sent to the Council as indicated in the guidance contained within a new EL12 library section.  Recent new items are also added to provide additional information, these include the Proposed Modifications to the Policies Map, the Housing Update paper, the Implications of the Updated NPPF on the Plan and the Sustainability Appraisal and Habitat Regulation Assessment.  Additionally, the Council are consulting on a number of Additional Modifications which are not relevant to the soundness of the Plan – further details are again to be found within the EL12 library.  The response deadline for all items is 5pm on Friday 15th October.

27 July 2021 – The Council have been asked to comment about the updated NPPF issued by government last week – library item EL6.018a refers.

15 July 2021 – The Council has commenced a consultation on the Potential Compensation Measures for Green Belt Release, this will continue until 5pm on Wednesday 28th July. This consultation is an opportunity to suggest potential compensation measures if green belt land is to be released, not to object to the release itself. The Potential Compensation Measures for Green Belt Release document is included in Examination library 11.  As with other consultations, the responses will be uploaded to the webpage library and provided to the Inspectors.

5 July 2021 – The Inspectors have issued a post-hearing letter which sets out the future direction of the Examination.  Please note that the Inspectors do not anticipate inviting or accepting comments on this letter which may be found in the library as item EL6.017a & EL6.017b (Accessibility Version).

22 June 2021 – The recent consultation on Housing and Employment Land Updates has now ended and responses may be viewed in the Examination Library EL10. These have now been forwarded to the Inspectors for their consideration. 

2 June 2021 – The Council has commenced a consultation on the Housing and Employment Land Updates and this will continue until 5pm on Wednesday 16th June. These items are included in the Examination library EL10.  As with other consultations, the responses will be uploaded to the webpage library and provided to the Inspectors who anticipate that they will be in a position to issue a post hearings letter thereafter.  This letter will be made available via the Examination library in the usual way.

21 May 2021 – The Council expect to progress a consultation on Housing and Employment Land updates in the near future, commencing on or around 26th May and ending two weeks later (9th June).  As with other consultations, the responses will be provided to the Inspectors who anticipate that they will be in a position to issue a post hearings letter towards the end of June.  This letter will be made available via the Examination library in the usual way.

17 May 2021 – the responses to the second tranche consultation are now available in the EL9 library section.   These are presently with the Inspectors who are considering next stages of the Examination.

1 April 2021 – In line with the pre-election guidance, the Council will be publishing the responses received for the 2nd Tranche of consultation after 6th May 2021.

22 March 2021 – The deadline for the Tranche 2 consultation has now ended and the Council are collating responses for submission to the Inspectors to assist their deliberations. As with Tranche 1, responses will be added to the Examination Library in due course.

8 March 2021 – A further extension has been agreed to the Council’s second tranche consultation which will now end at 5pm on Friday 19 March.

1 March 2021 - The Council's Viability Study Update has now been added to the Examination library as item EL8.020.2. The deadline for responses to the second tranche consultation has been extended until 5pm on Friday 12 March

9 February 2021 - The note on developable sites has now been added to the Examination Library as item EL8.019.8.

8 February 2021 - Please note that Matters 2.3 and 2.4 have been removed from the website as these documents relate to future Main Modifications, rather than this consultation on purely Technical Matters relevant to the emerging Local Plan. Similarly Matters 19.3 and 19.9 will not be uploaded at this time. Should the Inspectors consider it appropriate in the future to upload these documents we will of course add them to the Examination Library. Documents that are still outstanding and which will be uploaded in due course relate to Matters 1.1, 19.8 and 20.2. At this stage it is not intended to extend the consultation period beyond Monday 1 March.

1 February 2021 - the Council has invited consultees to comment on the second tranche of documents available in the Examination Library 8. This is a 4 week consultation exercise ending at noon on Monday 1 March 2020. Comments should be sent to forwardplanning@rossendalebc.gov.uk and following the close of the consultation these will then be forwarded to the Local Plan Inspectors. Some final items regarding the tranche 2 consultation are expected to be added to the webpage within the next 7-14 days and consultees will be notified when these are available.

29 January 2021 - Further items have been added to the EL8 library:

  • EL8.002.2 - Settlement Hierarchy
  • EL8.004.3 - Open Space Study
  • EL8.005.2 - Employment Land Study
  • EL8.009 - Housing Site Allocations (Rawtenstall, Crawshawbooth, Goodshaw and Loveclough)
  • EL8.010 - Housing Site Allocations (Bacup, Stacksteads, Britannia and Weir)
  • EL8.011 - Housing Site Allocations (Haslingden and Rising Bridge)
  • EL8.012 - Housing Site Allocations (Waterfoot, Lumb, Cowpe and Water)
  • EL8.013 - Housing Site Allocations (Whitworth, Facit and Shawforth)
  • EL8.017.1 - Built Sports Facilities Assessment
  • EL8.019.4 - Manchester Rd & Clod Lane Haslingden Site

28 January 2021 - Further items have been added to the EL8 library below:

27 January 2021 - New documents as below have now been added to the webpage library and will be included in the forthcoming consultation exercise:

  • EL8.006.1 - Retail and Other Town Centre Uses
  • EL8.009.1 - Pre-application letter and Council response re land at Swinshaw (site H5 in the local plan)
  • EL8.014.4 - Pre-application letter and Council response re land at Edenwood Mill (site H73 in the local plan) - Part (1) (2) (3)

19 January 2021 - A note from the Council titled Use Classes Order Amendments Local Plan Implications has been added to the Examination library as item EL6.016. This will be included in the forthcoming round of consultation on new and emerging documents. 

13 January 2021 - A Visitor Management Plan Update has been added to the Examination Library as item EL8.001.4. This, together with further emerging items, will be added to the Tranche 2 consultation exercise due to commence in the near future.

22 December - The responses received during the first tranche of consultation on the Examination Library 8 are available to view in the new Examination Library 9. The second tranche of consultation on additional documents which will be published in EL8 is expected to take place in late January 2021. 

14 December - The Council have provided a note to the Inspector regarding possible alternative ways of meeting the provision for transit needs in Rossendale. This document is included as library item EL8.004.1 and will be consulted upon in the Council's second tranche of consultation which is currently expected to commence in January. As with consultation responses, all comments will be forwarded to the Inspector to assist her deliberations on this topic.

3 December - The consultation on the first tranche of documents available in Examination Library 8 has ended on Tuesday 1 December 2020. The comments received will be forwarded to the Local Plan Inspectors and made available on the Counci's website in due course.

6 November - The Council has recently invited consultees to comment on the first tranche of documents available in the Examination Library 8. This is a 4 week consultation exercise ending at 5pm on Tuesday 1 December 2020. Comments should be sent to forwardplanning@rossendalebc.gov.uk and following the close of the consultation these will then be forwarded to the Local Plan Inspectors. Action 8.10 which deals with Green Belt compensation measures provides information related to actions 15.6, 15.7 and 15.9, but additional information on these actions will be made available during the second consultation exercise. Details of the second tranche consultation will be advised in due course.

30 October - Further items have been added to the EL8 library: 8.1 re Omission Sites, 8.6 re Green Belt, and 8.7 re Site Selection Evidence. 

27 October - New items have now been added to the EL8 Action List library: 8.10 re Green Belt Release now joins recently uploaded items 8.2, 16.1 and 18.1. The Council are now moving towards a consultation exercise concerning selected items from the EL8 library and further details will be advised shortly. 

3 September - The Council has reviewed its Statement of Community Involvement and found that it does not need to be modified as a result of the temporary legislation introduced during the coronavirus pandemic. Library item EL6.015 relates. 

1 September - A further item EL6.013d has been added to the library regarding site H72 in Edenfield. A previous entry has been renumbered EL6.013e. In respect of other work largely covered in the EL6.001 Action List (and resulting documents in the EL8 library) additional items are anticipated in the current month with a series of consultation exercises to relevant parties anticipated thereafter.

17 August - A letter from Hyndburn BC regarding Gypsy & Traveller site provision has been added to the library as EL6.014.

17 July - Items in respect of site H72 Edenfield have been added to the webpage library as EL6.013a-d.

6 July - An exchange of letters with Jake Berry MP has been added to the Examination Library 6 - items EL6.012a and EL6.012b relate.

18 June - Following the Latest News entry of 8 June, a new EL8 library section is now available and includes a range of documents completed by the Council in respect of the actions (see EL6.001) required following the close of hearings last year. Further items will be uploaded shortly as will also a summary document detailing progress to date. 

15 June - Recent new documents provided by the Council at the Inspector's request regarding the forthcoming Gypsy & Traveller hearing have now been added to the webpage - entries EL6.011a-d relate.

10 June - In respect of the forthcoming teleconference hearing session scheduled for 17 June regarding the Gypsies & Travellers Transit Site, the Programme Officer has now circulated participants with the agenda which may be viewed here. Library documents EL6.10a-c relate. The Programme Officer is also mailing other interested parties (Reg 19 representations and recent consultation contributors) who may simply wish to listen to the discussion as it progresses on the day. Anyone wishing to take up this option should contact the Programme Officer no later than noon on 16 June. 

8 June - Following the close of hearings in autumn 2019 the Inspectors sought some further work from the Council which was summarised in an 'Action List' library document EL6.001. The original timescale for the completion of this work was mid-May but some work is still ongoing, in part at least delayed due to the current pandemic and associated travel restrictions, and present expectations are now for completion around the end of July. A new library section EL8 will shortly be available giving access to documents provided to the Inspectors so far and further additions will be made as and when they are produced. The Inspectors are not inviting comments on these documents at this stage but will be directing the Council to consult on several of the documents in due course. Further details will be added to the webpage as they become available. 

8 June - A further response (S Howorth) to the Inspector's Gypsies & Travellers pre-hearing questions has been added to the Examination library and may be viewed via entries EL7.01a and b.

2 June - The deadline has now passed for responses to the Inspector's pre-hearing questions on the Gypsies and Travellers Transit Site topic. These responses may be found in library section EL7. The Programme Officer will be in touch with intending participants ahead of the teleconference scheduled for 17 June. 

15 May 2020 - An email from the Programme Officer has now been added to the webpage library regarding a forthcoming teleconference hearing into the Council's Gypsy and Traveller Transit Site proposals. This is accompanied by the Inspector's Pre-hearing Questions. These items may be found via EL6.009a and EL6.009b (previous library items EL6.007-8 provide a link to responses to the consultation in January/February 2020). An update regarding the overall progress of the Local Plan is expected to be available in the near future and details will be added to this webpage.

27 April 2020 - Comments from Calderdale and the Lead Local Flood Authority regarding the proposed Gypsy and Traveller Transit Site have now been added to the webpage and can be viewed here. Further details regarding the delayed hearing on the same subject are expected to be available in the near future.

24 March 2020 - The Gypsy and Traveller Transit Site hearing session originally scheduled for 2 April has been postponed. Further details will be advised on this webpage in due course, and also communicated directly  to those who indicated a desire to participate in the hearing.

23 March 2020 - Two further comments, received during December, regarding the proposed Gypsy and Traveller Transit Site have been added to the consultation responses and these may be accessed via EL6.007. An update regarding the hearing session scheduled for 2 April will be provided shortly. 

11 March 2020 - The agenda for the forthcoming Gypsy & Traveller Transit Site hearing on 2 April has now been added to the Examination Libary 6 (EL6.006) and mailed to respondees of the recent consultation exercise. This latter group are reminded of the closing date for participation intentions: Friday 20 March. 

2 March 2020 - The Programme Officer has written to consultees regarding the recent Gypsy & Traveller Transit Site consultation regarding progress towards a related hearing session scheduled for Thursday 2 April - see library item EL6.005.

2 March 2020 - Following the close of the recent consultation on the proposed new Gypsy & Traveller Transit Site the Inspector will now hold a short public hearing session to consider related issues. This will commence at 10am on Thursday 2 April in the Council Chamber at the Council offices at Futures Park, Bacup. An agenda is likely to be available in the week commencing 9 March. Respondees to the recent consultation will be contacted with an opportunity to participate and should advise the Programme Officer by Friday 20 March. The hearing session will also be open to those who simply wish to observe.

25 February 2020 - The consultation on a proposed alternative Gypsy and Traveller Transit Site has now closed. The representations received will be sent to the Planning Inspectors.

16 January 2020 - The Council has started a 6 week public consultation on a proposed alternative Gypsy and Traveller Transit Site which will end on Tuesday 25th February 2020 at 5pm. For more information about the consultation and on how to comment please see: https://www.rossendale.gov.uk/info/210148/local_plan/10629/emerging_local_plan/2. Please note that the Council is also consulting on the designation of Bacup and Stacksteads as a Neighbourhood Forum and Neighbourhood Area. For more information about this consultation, please visit: https://www.rossendale.gov.uk/info/210148/local_plan/10813/neighbourhood_plans/2.

6 January 2020 - The Council's current expectations for the timetable of the Local Plan process may be found in a recent update via the following link: https://www.rossendale.gov.uk/info/210148/local_plan/10629/emerging_local_plan/8

27 November 2019 - New items will continue to be added to the Examination library as these become available, most likely arising from the Council's actions in processing the further work arising from the hearings and as covered in their Schedule of Actions document (EL6.001). Recent new items include a further item (EL5.012) re Manchester Road, Haslingden which may be found alongside other related material relating to Responses re the Housing Land Supply paper EL4.014.

13 November 2019 - Following the close of hearings the Inspectors have now issued a letter to the Council which has been added to the Examination library as item EL6.003. Further updates on the progress of the Examination will be added to this webpage in due course.

11 November 2019 - Two new items have been produced by the Council and have been agreed by the Inspectors. These are a Schedule of Actions reflecting items discussed during the hearings, and a draft list of proposed Main Modifications. Both have been added to a new library section EL6 below. A letter from the Inspectors to the Council will follow shortly and will similarly be added to the Examination Library.

None of these documents require formal responses from representors at this stage although the work arising from the Schedule of Actions may prompt selected invitations from the Inspectors for further comments. Additionally, of course, once a final set of Main Modifications has been produced this will be subject to a formal consultation process.

21 October 2019 - the Inspector has invited comments from Matter 14 participants (only) regarding the recent Taylor Wimpey planning application regarding proposed development to the east of Holcombe Road, Helmshore. This is for the purposes of the Local Plan examination and is quite separate from the usual opportunity to comment on planning applications.

21 October 2019 - the Inspectors anticipate a limited number of focussed invitations for further comments arising from new documents yet to be concluded, some of which will feature in the Council's action points list due around the month end. In the meantime, no new material should be submitted to the Inspector unless specifically requested, or agreed in advance via the Programme Officer.

Presently, two invitations have been made by the Inspectors: to Matter 14 participants only re Highways England library document EL4.010, and to Matter 19 participants only re the Housing Land Supply Update paper EL4.014. Responses will be added to the Examination library in due course.

10 October 2019 - the Examination hearings have now concluded and the Council are in the process of compiling a list of oustanding action points arising from the various sessions. This will be published on this webpage in the near future and interested parties are encouraged to review the webpage from time to time for this and further progress of the Examination.

4 October 2019 - the agenda for Day 9 has now been published and further items have been added to the EL4 section of the library

2 October 2019- the agendas for Day 7 and Day 8 have now been published

27 September 2019 - the agenda for Day 6 has now been added to the webpage

26 September 2019- the agenda for Day 5 has now been added to the webpage

25 September 2019- the agenda for Day 4 has now been added to the webpage

24 September 2019- the hearings have now commenced and the Council's opening statement (EL4.001) has been added to a new EL4 library section for items added following the start of the hearings

20 September 2019 - the agenda for Day 3 has now been added to the webpage.

20 September 2019 - the Council have provided further information from Betts Associates regarding Site NE3 Carrs North Industrial Estate and this can be found in the Examination library as item EL1.011. Matter 15 participants have been informed directly.

17 September 2019 - at the Inspectors' request, the Council have provided information regarding housing needs calculations to assist discussions at the Matter 3 session; library entry EL1.010 relates.

16 September 2019 - the Programme Officer has emailed hearings participants (EL1.009a) with an updated programme (EL1.009b) and detailed agendas for the first two days of hearings. Anyone also intending to simply observe the hearings is advised to view the email and programme for latest timings and other relevant information, and to also follow the webpage closely for any further late changes. Daily agendas will be added to the webpage - see 'The hearings' paragraph - as and when they become available, usually a week ahead of the respective sessions.

11 September 2019 - a list of recent MIQ responses in Matter order is now available as the second item in the EL2 library list.

5 September 2019 - all recent responses from representors regarding the Inspectors MIQs are now available on the Examination webpage in the EL2 library.

5 September 2019 - the Programme Officer has provided a full participants list EL1.008b to expected participants at the forthcoming hearings. Requests from other parties should continue to be directed to the Programme Officer.

3 September 2019 - the full set of Council MIQ responses are now available via the EL3 library link at the bottom of this webpage. Uploading of responses from representors continues in the EL2 library and a further Latest News entry will be added when this task is completed.

2 September 2019 - the deadline for responses to the Inspectors' Matters Issues and Questions ('MIQs') has now passed and no further information should be sent prior to the hearings unless specifically requested. MIQ responses are presently being uploaded to the EL2 and EL3 library sections below and a further Latest News entry will advise when this task has been completed. The Programme Officer will be contacting all hearings participants in the very near future with further details of preparations for the hearings - other interested parties should continue to follow this webpage which will continue to be updated with key information and new documents. As always, the Programme Officer will also be pleased to respond to any direct enquiries.

7 August 2019 - as requested by the Inspectors in their MIQs, the Council have now provided an early response to Matter 5e and this has been added to the library as item EL1.007.

2 August 2019 - A new library section EL2 has been established for responses to the Inspectors' Matters Issues and Questions. In due course, the Council's own responses will be added to a further library section EL3.

24 July 2019 - The previous response to Question 11 of the Inspector's Initial Questions (EL1.002g) has been updated to include an additional full Heritage Impact Assessment for part of Housing Allocation H40, Land off Todmorden Road, Bacup.

18 July 2019 - The Inspectors Matters Issues and Questions and supporting papers have been sent to all who submitted representations at the latest stage of the Local Plan and have been added to the library as items EL1.006a-e. Public hearing dates commencing Tuesday 24 September are detailed in the programme (EL1.006d) - observers should view this webpage periodically for any subsequent changes.

15 July 2019 - the Council's final responses (Q17 and 18) to the Inspectors' Initial Questions have now been added to the Examination library as items EL1.002l(i) - (v).

The Inspectors' Matters Issues and Questions and supporting items are expected to be distributed to representors within the next few days and will also be added to this webpage.

10 July 2019 - the Council's further responses to the Inspector's Initial Questions have now been added to the library: EL1.002h(i) - (iv) items provide a supplement to an earlier Q10 response; EL1.002j(i)-(iv) and EL1.002k provide responses to Q13 and Q15. Responses in respect of remaining unanswered Initial Questions - Q17 and Q18 - are anticipated within the next few days and will be added promptly to the library.

26 June 2019 - the Council's response to the Inspectors' Initial Question 11 has been added to the Examination library as item EL1.002g.

24 June  2019- the Council have provided responses to the Inspectors' Initial Question 10 - library items EL1.002e(i) - (x). A response to Question 14 has also been provided - item EL1.002f.

18 June 2019 - the Council's latest response to the Inspectors' Initial Questions has been added to the Examination library as items EL1.002d(i) and EL1.002d(ii). The large files relate to Proposed Green Belt and Urban Boundary changes - should it prove difficult to download please contact the Programme Officer for alternative access.

13 June 2019 - the Council have produced Submission Policies Map for each settlement as a response to the Pre-Hearing Note 1, question 6. The maps are published as items EL1.002c(i) - (xxv) with the Submission Policies Map Key published as item EL1.002c(xxvi).

31 May 2019 - in response to the Inspector's Pre-hearing Note 1 the Council's initital response has been added to the Examination library as items EL1.002b(i)-(vi); further responses will follow and will be added to the library in due course. The Inspectors and the Council have now agreed a potential hearings start date of week commencing 23 September - further details will be advised in due course.

30 May 2019 - the Council have produced an updated interactive map displaying the Local Plan Policies. Further details and a suitable link are provided via examination library document EL1.005

21 May 2019 - the Inspectors recent Pre-Hearing Note 1, question 5 requested the Council "to include documentation relating to the area and the designation of the Edenfield Community Neighbourhood Forum in the examination library". Library items EL1.004a-b have now been added by way of response.

17 May 2019 - the Programme Officer has written to representors with an update on Examination progress - see library item EL1.003

16 May 2019 - some initial questions from the Inspectors have been forwarded to the Council - see examination library item EL1.002a. These require a response from the Council only and their comments will be added to the library in due course.

16 May 2019 - minor textual changes are now included in the Evidence Base documents EB025 - Landscape Study 2015 - in respect of Land south of Loveclough Sports Pitch and Land north of Hud Hey (proposed employment allocation NE2). These changes are illustrated in new Examination Library items EL1.001a-c and further explained in the Council's covering email EL1.001d.