Local Plan to proceed to next phase after coronavirus delay

After delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, preparations are underway for the Darlington Local Plan to go on deposit – the last chance for the public to have their say on the plan before it goes to the Government for independent examination.

The Proposed Submission Plan – which is the final version of the plan proposed by Darlington Borough Council, as agreed by councillors in February – will be published on August 6.

There follows a statutory six week representation period where individuals or organisations can make comments that will be submitted directly to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration during its examination.

The Plan will be available to view and download online at the council’s Local Plan consultation portal - https://darlington-consult.objective.co.uk – where representations can also be made. Due to the current circumstances we would strongly recommend people view the document and make comments online where possible.

There will also be hard copies available to view by appointment only in the customer services department in the Town Hall. To make an appointment contact 01325 406724 or email [email protected]

Councillor Heather Scott, leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “I’d like to thank people for their patience during the delay in progressing with the Local Plan but we felt it was important that we only continue when as many people as possible were free to participate fully.

“There has been an excellent response to the Local Plan consultation periods throughout the process and this is the final opportunity for people to have their say.

“The Local Plan is a key document that will shape the future development of our borough and the responses that we’ve had so far have been used to inform and change the document that we are presenting as our proposed submission.”

Only representations made during this six week period will be considered in full by the Planning Inspector at the examination stage. However, a summary of the main issues raised during the summer 2018 consultation stage, and how they have been taken into account by the council, will also be sent to the inspector.

At this final stage representations must relate only to the legal and procedural requirements for preparing Local Plans and the ‘soundness’ of the Proposed Submission version of the Local Plan, as set out in the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Full details of what this entails can be found on the Darlington Local Plan portal page - www.darlington.gov.uk/localplan