Craven District Council is launching a public consultation on the proposed main modifications which are recommended to the Craven Local Plan by an independent inspector.

Public consultation runs from Tuesday 19th February 2019, for a six week period until Monday 1st April 2019.  All representations must be received no later than Monday 1st April 2019. All relevant information and consultation forms can be found at www.cravendc.gov.uk/planningpolicyconsultations and also in paper form at the Council offices at Belle Vue Square and in Craven libraries.   

These Main Modifications have been proposed following hearing sessions held during the Examination of the draft Craven Local Plan by an independent Inspector, Matthew Birkinshaw BA (Hons) MSc MRTPI, appointed by the Secretary of State.

Councillor Richard Foster, leader of Craven District Council, said: “We have held a huge amount of consultation on this Local Plan during its development and this is a chance for people to have their say on a number of main modifications.  Our planning policy team has worked extremely hard alongside the Inspector to develop these main modifications to ensure the soundness of the plan.”

A series of public hearing sessions were held from Tuesday October 9, 2018, to Wednesday October 31, 2018, where the Inspector led the discussion on a range of matters, with contributions from the Council and participants who had submitted representations.

Following the hearing sessions a number of Main Modifications to the local plan have been recommended by the Inspector, which are changes that are necessary to make the plan sound.

At this stage of the examination process representations can only be made on the proposed Main Modifications, the updated Sustainability Appraisal and Habitat Regulation Assessment and not on any other aspects of the Draft Craven Local Plan.  Representations which do not relate to the Main Modifications will not be considered by the Inspector.

The Schedule of Main Modifications, the updated Sustainability Appraisal and Habitat Regulation Assessment are available to view on the Council’s website, along with a consultation form, at www.cravendc.gov.uk/planningpolicyconsultations and will also be available for inspection at the Council’s offices at Belle Vue Square, Broughton Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1FJ, which are open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Thursday and from 9am to 4.30pm on Friday.

Copies can also be found at local libraries located within the plan area at Skipton, Settle, Bentham, Ingleton, Crosshills, Gargrave and Embsay with Eastby, and on the Supermobile library. Details of opening times for these libraries can be found at https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/local-libraries  

Representations received will be passed on to the Inspector. He will consider these and decide whether he can conclude that the Craven Local Plan is sound, subject to the modifications consulted upon, or whether any more hearing sessions are necessary.

If the Inspector decides that the plan is sound subject to modifications, he will send a draft final report to the Council for fact checking. Once the fact check has been completed and the Inspector has responded to any points raised, the final report (containing recommendations and reasons) will be submitted to the Council in electronic format. 

Following this, the Council is required to publish the report on the Council’s website, make it available at the Council offices and the District’s libraries during normal opening hours for a period of six weeks and give notice to those persons who requested to be notified of the publication of the Inspector’s report, that the report is available.

Following the publication of the Inspector’s final report (containing recommendations and reasons) for a period of six weeks, the Council may then adopt the plan.

Adoption is the final stage of putting the plan in place and requires confirmation by a meeting of Full Council.  In the event that no further hearings are necessary and the Inspector is able to conclude that the plan is sound subject to the modifications consulted upon, adoption by full Council could happen in May/June 2019.

The Planning Policy Team can be contacted on 01756 706472 or by emailing localplan@cravendc.gov.uk