East Cambridgeshire District Council submitted its Local Plan Single Issue Review (SIR) to the Secretary of State on 19 July 2022 and thereafter the examination process began. This webpage is the home for all matters associated with that examination.

The examination concluded in October 2023. This webpage therefore is a record of the key aspects of that examination, but will not be updated further.

Inspector's Report Received - 5 October 2023

On 5 October 2023, the Council received the Inspector's Report. This Report sets out the findings of the Inspector that examined the submitted Local Plan. Having received the Inspector's Report, this draws to a conclusion the examination stage. 

East Cambridgeshire District Council formally considered the Inspector's Report at a meeting of Full Council on 19 October 2023. At the meeting, the Inspector's Recommendations were accepted, and the Local Plan update was adopted.

Main Stages of the Local Plan Single Issue Review Examination

19 July 2022: East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) submitted its Local Plan Single Issue Review (SIR) to the Secretary of State. 

25 July 2022: Inspector P Lewis BA (Hons) MA MRTPI was appointed by the Secretary of State to carry out the independent examination of the Plan (see document EX.INS01 below). 

23 August 2022: Inspector raises some initial questions and matters for the attention of ECDC (see document EX.INS02 below).

7 September 2022: ECDC responds to the Inspectors initial questions (see document EX.LA03, EX.LA03(A) and EX.LA04).

14 September 2022: Supporting documents uploaded (see document EX.LA05 - Greater Cambridge Local Plan, First Proposals Duty to Cooperate Compliance Statement (August 2021)  and EX.LA06 - Housing Needs of Specific Groups - Cambridgeshire and West Suffolk below).

23 September 2022: The Inspector published his Guidance Notes, MIQs and Provisional Hearing Programme for the scheduled hearing sessions opening on Tuesday 8 November. These documents are viewable in the Examination Documents table below along with the Notice sent to parties that made representations during the earlier Regulation 19 consultation stage (see items EX.PO01, EX.INS03, EX.INS04, EX.INS05 below).  The Inspectors Guidance Note explains the procedures which will be followed during the examination and arrangements for the submitting of pre-hearing statements. The MIQs identify the main issues of soundness and legal compliance that the examination will focus on and the Provisional Programme sets out the dates and times for the hearings. 

28 October 2022: Deadline for Representors to submit Hearing Statements. The submitted statements are now viewable below.

3 November 2022: A new provisional programme for the Hearing Sessions has been published to reflect an earlier start time for discussion on Matter 2. This also includes a list of participants. Please refer to the v2 programme above or in the examination library below.

8 November 2022: The Hearing Sessions open with in person discussions on Matters 1 and 2 as well as Other Matters. Hearing sessions closed at 5:00pm.

4 - 6 January 2023: ECDC receive the Inspector's initial post hearing letter. This correspondence, plus the Council's letter of acknowledgement and response can be viewed in the examination library below.

17 January 2023: ECDC submit their detailed response to the Inspector's post hearing letter - please see document EX.LA09 below.

31 January 2023: The Inspector issues a response to the Council's letter of the 17 January with recommendations that the Council prepare a topic paper setting out further details as to why its approach suggested in letter EX.LA09 is sound. The Inspector also advises he intends to hold a further Hearing session on the matter. Further details on the next Hearing sessions will be uploaded to this page once arrangements have been made.

7 February 2023: ECDC acknowledge the Inspector's letter and confirm they will start preparing a topic paper as requested.

10 February 2023:  Notice of a further hearing session was issued. The hearing took place virtually on Tuesday 28 March 2023. 

13 February 2023: ECDC issue their Examination topic view - see document EX.LA11 below.

17 February 2023: The Inspector published his MIQs for the scheduled virtual hearing session on Tuesday 28 March. This document is viewable in the Examination Documents table below (EX.INS10).  The MIQs identify the main issues of soundness and legal compliance that the examination will focus on. Representors wishing to submit a further hearing statement should refer to the MIQs as well as the submission guidelines set out in the Inspector's original Guidance Note (EX.INS03 viewable below). 

17 March 2023: Deadline for Representors to submit further Hearing Statements ahead of the virtual hearing session. These statements are now viewable in the table below titled Hearing Statement - March 2023.

28 March 2023: A second Hearing Session was held virtually to discuss the Further MIQs as laid out in document EX.INS10 below. The hearing session closed at 12:20pm.

5 June 2023: The Council received a letter from the Inspector (dated 24th May) following the second hearing session held in March - see document EX.INS11 in the table below. 

21 July 2023: Consultation commences for six weeks on a small set of Proposed Modifications. Full details in document EX.LA12 below. 

5 October 2023: Inspector's Report received. Full details in documents below, under sub heading Inspector's Report.

Programme Officer

The Programme Officer, Joy Hennebry, was the main point of contact for anyone who had an interest in the examination process. Now the examination has ended (October 2023), the programme officer role has also ended. Please do not send any material to the programme officer, either by post or email, as it will not be read. If you have any queries on the examination process, please contact the Council's planning policy team. 

Contact details

Strategic Planning Team, East Cambridgeshire District Council, The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4EE

Telephone: 01353 665555

Email: planningpolicy@eastcambs.gov.uk

More information about how Local Plan examinations operate

• Guidance document: Local Plan: The examination process (external link)
• Guidance document: Procedure guide for Local Plan examinations (external link)
• Guidance document: Local Plan: Taking part in examinations (external link)

Examination documents

Hearing Statements - for Hearing Session November 2022

Hearing Statements - for Hearing Session March 2023

Proposed Modifications Consultation Responses

Inspector's Report 5 October 2023

If you require any of the above documents in an accessible format, please contact the Planning Policy team (contact details above)