Independent Inspectors were appointed in early 2020 to commence the Examination Hearings of the Chiltern and South Bucks Local Plan.
PLEASE NOTE, THE HEARINGS HAVE BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
The first day of Stage 1 Hearings was due to commence on Tuesday 17th March 2020 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Gerrard Suite, Oxford Road, Beaconsfield HP9 2XE.
BNG had been devoting considerable resources (see below) in preparation to attend all of the Stage One Hearing Sessions and had submitted written Hearing Statements in respect of all Matters that the Inspectors wanted to discuss in the Stage One Hearings.
The Inspectors had sent some Initial Questions to the Council, to which the Council responded and subsequently the Inspectors published their Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQ’s) to be considered at the Examination Hearings.
BNG felt that the topics on Legal Compliance and general issue of Green Belt release and GB boundary changes were the most important but made representations on all issues in preparation for the Stage One Hearings.
Site specific issues were due to be considered at Stage Two Hearing Sessions following a couple of months later.
Since the Local Plan Examination in Public was suspended indefinitely due to the Covid-19 crisis, the Inspectors then requested all Participants that were due to attend the first Hearing Session where the legal compliance of the Local Plan was to have been debated, to now submit supplementary written responses to further concerns that the Inspectors had raised about legal compliance by the Council, which they felt might indicate whether the rest of the Local Plan Examination should even take place when social distancing restrictions are lifted.
As BNG had already raised concerns about legal compliance, BNG was invited to participate in this written exercise.
The BNG supplementary evidence is now included below (with all the other written submissions BNG has made to the Local Plan Examination) and we all now await the Inspectors decision on whether Chiltern & South Bucks District Council have prepared the plan in accordance with legal duties to co-operate with neighbouring authorities.
Further concerns were also raised by the Inspectors regarding Spatial Strategy and whether three sites in or close to the Districts being considered for Motorway Service areas had "strategic implications" for the Plan.
The Inspectors decision as to whether the Plan is legally compliant or whether any failings can be rectified and proceed to further Examination whenever Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, is still awaited at this time. Accordingly, we still await any revised timetable for the Local Plan Examination too.
Supporters may be interested to know that in addition to the Hearing Statements for each Stage One topic, BNG have also coordinated with other community groups to submit a Statement of Common Ground. This has now been submitted too and aside from BNG, involves; Chesham Society, the Chiltern Society, Holmer Green Residents Society and Chesham Renaissance CIC (authors of the Chesham Masterplan).
Copies of this Statement of Common Ground and all the Hearing Statement Submissions by BNG can be found below together with the Initial Questions raised by Inspectors to the Council, the Council’s responses to those Initial Questions, and the Inspectors MIQ’S.
PLEASE NOTE, THE HEARINGS HAVE BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
The first day of Stage 1 Hearings was due to commence on Tuesday 17th March 2020 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Gerrard Suite, Oxford Road, Beaconsfield HP9 2XE.
BNG had been devoting considerable resources (see below) in preparation to attend all of the Stage One Hearing Sessions and had submitted written Hearing Statements in respect of all Matters that the Inspectors wanted to discuss in the Stage One Hearings.
The Inspectors had sent some Initial Questions to the Council, to which the Council responded and subsequently the Inspectors published their Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQ’s) to be considered at the Examination Hearings.
BNG felt that the topics on Legal Compliance and general issue of Green Belt release and GB boundary changes were the most important but made representations on all issues in preparation for the Stage One Hearings.
Site specific issues were due to be considered at Stage Two Hearing Sessions following a couple of months later.
Since the Local Plan Examination in Public was suspended indefinitely due to the Covid-19 crisis, the Inspectors then requested all Participants that were due to attend the first Hearing Session where the legal compliance of the Local Plan was to have been debated, to now submit supplementary written responses to further concerns that the Inspectors had raised about legal compliance by the Council, which they felt might indicate whether the rest of the Local Plan Examination should even take place when social distancing restrictions are lifted.
As BNG had already raised concerns about legal compliance, BNG was invited to participate in this written exercise.
The BNG supplementary evidence is now included below (with all the other written submissions BNG has made to the Local Plan Examination) and we all now await the Inspectors decision on whether Chiltern & South Bucks District Council have prepared the plan in accordance with legal duties to co-operate with neighbouring authorities.
Further concerns were also raised by the Inspectors regarding Spatial Strategy and whether three sites in or close to the Districts being considered for Motorway Service areas had "strategic implications" for the Plan.
The Inspectors decision as to whether the Plan is legally compliant or whether any failings can be rectified and proceed to further Examination whenever Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, is still awaited at this time. Accordingly, we still await any revised timetable for the Local Plan Examination too.
Supporters may be interested to know that in addition to the Hearing Statements for each Stage One topic, BNG have also coordinated with other community groups to submit a Statement of Common Ground. This has now been submitted too and aside from BNG, involves; Chesham Society, the Chiltern Society, Holmer Green Residents Society and Chesham Renaissance CIC (authors of the Chesham Masterplan).
Copies of this Statement of Common Ground and all the Hearing Statement Submissions by BNG can be found below together with the Initial Questions raised by Inspectors to the Council, the Council’s responses to those Initial Questions, and the Inspectors MIQ’S.
URGENT MESSAGE REGARDING FUNDING:
In the last few months as the intensity of work has increased in preparation for the Local Plan Examination Hearings so has the reliance on our excellent Legal Team at Landmark Chambers. Although this help has been invaluable it has come at a price and these costs have now outstripped our original funding to the tune of £18,000. The BNG Committee was faced with the most difficult decision knowing that now is not the time for a fundraising drive due the financial uncertainly surrounding Covid-19. Do we give up on legal advice having come this far and leave ourselves in the uncomfortable position of going to a gunfight armed only with a knife OR do we press on with the validly-held belief that we can get this Local Plan thrown out by the Inspectors. We chose the latter approach but it meant that three households have borne these additional costs causing each one of them to suffer real hardship as they, too, are not immune to the financial effects of the lockdown. It is not unreasonable to suggest that these three households can no longer be relied upon for any more funding and if the local residents really wish to have the best possible chance of getting the Local Plan dismissed, they will need to share some of the financial burden. If you can help in any way please visit our Fundraising Page.
Be assured that as the BNG Committee have been the predominant doners to the BNG legal fund, we are being very careful with it and not spending it unnecessarily.
In the last few months as the intensity of work has increased in preparation for the Local Plan Examination Hearings so has the reliance on our excellent Legal Team at Landmark Chambers. Although this help has been invaluable it has come at a price and these costs have now outstripped our original funding to the tune of £18,000. The BNG Committee was faced with the most difficult decision knowing that now is not the time for a fundraising drive due the financial uncertainly surrounding Covid-19. Do we give up on legal advice having come this far and leave ourselves in the uncomfortable position of going to a gunfight armed only with a knife OR do we press on with the validly-held belief that we can get this Local Plan thrown out by the Inspectors. We chose the latter approach but it meant that three households have borne these additional costs causing each one of them to suffer real hardship as they, too, are not immune to the financial effects of the lockdown. It is not unreasonable to suggest that these three households can no longer be relied upon for any more funding and if the local residents really wish to have the best possible chance of getting the Local Plan dismissed, they will need to share some of the financial burden. If you can help in any way please visit our Fundraising Page.
Be assured that as the BNG Committee have been the predominant doners to the BNG legal fund, we are being very careful with it and not spending it unnecessarily.
