Latest Update June 2024 - Examiner has commenced examination of the Plan

Andrew Ashcroft MRTPI has been appointed as the Examiner of the Soham and Barway Neighbourhood Plan. On 12 June 2024 he set out a brief Examination Arrangements (PDF, 0.1MB) note which sets out the programme of work he will undertake over the coming two months.

Background

Over the past few years, Soham Town Council has been preparing a draft Neighbourhood Plan for its parish area. The Soham parish includes the settlements of Soham and Barway plus surrounding agriculture land. For details on the earlier stages of preparing the Plan, please view the Soham Town Council website (external link).

During April 2024, Soham Town Council formally submitted its draft Neighbourhood Plan to East Cambridgeshire District Council for independent examination and a final round of public consultation. Consultation took place from 23 April 2024 to 3 June 2024, and all representations received can be found below in the examination documents table below.

The draft Plan and accompanying submission documents are also available to download from the document library below. A copy of the draft Soham and Barway Neighbourhood Plan is available for inspection at East Cambridgeshire District Council's customer service centre during normal opening times.

Next steps

Now the consultation period has ended, the Neighbourhood Plan and other supporting material are being considered by an independent Examiner. The Examiner is Andrew Ashcroft MRTPI. The Examination is likely to conclude in late July or in August 2024, though this is not a fixed timetable. All correspondence arising from the examination stage will be included in the examination documents table below.

Subject to the outcome of that examination, the Neighbourhood Plan will proceed to a referendum stage where residents of the parish of Soham (which also includes Barway) will have a chance to vote whether the Neighbourhood Plan should be used to assist planning decision making in the parish. That referendum, if it is to take place, is likely to occur in Autumn 2024.

Requests to be notified of ECDC’s decision under regulation 19 of the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012, which relates to the making of the neighbourhood plan after the examination and referendum has concluded, may be submitted via email to planningpolicy@eastcambs.gov.uk.