North East Derbyshire Statement of Community Involvement 2023

Appendix B – Key stages of Local Plan preparation

Stage 1 – Public participation (Regulation 18)

What we will do

• Place details on the Council's website on the subject matter of the Local Plan.
• Notify people on the local plan consultation database to inform them of the commencement of the Local Plan and invite representations on what issues / topics the local plan should address.
• Make copies of any consultation documents, available to view on the Council's website, at the Council's main office, and at local libraries in the district.
• Collate information from individuals / groups / organisations on the subject of the Local Plan. This will involve using the most appropriate methods of community involvement as set out in this SCI, proportionate to the geographic area and topic of the Local Plan as appropriate. This Regulation 18 stage may involve a number of consultation exercises on issues and options, more detailed options for the content of the plan, or on a full draft plan including policy wording as appropriate.
• Record all representations made in response to consultations we hold and publish summaries of the main issues raised and our responses on the Council's website.

Your opportunities for involvement

• Register your contact details to be placed on the Council's consultation database to be kept informed of the preparation of the Local Plan.
• Attend any events we may hold on the Local Plan as appropriate.
• Give us your comments on the consultation documents we prepare on the Local Plan including what you think the document should contain.
• View our responses to the main issues raised in representations to the consultations we undertake on the Local Plan.

Stage 2 – Preparation of the Local Plan

What we will do

• Using the information and views gathered in Stage 1 above, we will prepare the 'Publication Draft Local Plan' including a submission Policies Map if a new one is needed, a Sustainability Appraisal, and a statement setting out full details of the consultation undertaken so far, and our response to the main issues raised to date.

Your opportunities for involvement

This is not a consultation stage.

Stage 3 – Publication of the Local Plan (Regulation 19)

What we will do

• Publish the Local Plan, in what we expect to be the final version, together with any associated documents, including the Sustainability Appraisal, Policies Map, and details of consultation undertaken so far and our response to the main issues raised to date.
• Email or send a letter to people on the Local Plan database and let them know about the public consultation on the plan.
• Hold a formal public consultation on the Publication Draft Local Plan of not less than 6 weeks.
• Issue a press release setting out details of when and where the draft plan and associated documents can be viewed.
• Make copies of the plan and associated documents available to view on the Council's website; at the Council's main office; and at local libraries in the district.
• Issue a Representation Form that people can use to make representations on the plan.

Your opportunities for involvement

• You may get in touch with us to discuss any issues before making your formal response to the plan.
• Make a representation on the plan using the online consultation system, a Representation Form, or by email or letter. You should be specific as to why you consider the Plan to be unsound, what change(s) you are seeking and why it would make the document sound.
• Let us know if you would like to be notified:

1. When the plan is submitted for examination;
2. When the recommendations of the Inspector are published;
3. When the plan is adopted by the Council.

Stage 4 – Consideration of the main issues raised in representations at the Publication Stage

What we will do

• We will consider all of the representations made by everyone who responded to the consultation and prepare a response to the main issues raised in the representations, and set this out in a Statement of Consultation.
• If we consider there is a need to make changes to the plan we may prepare an addendum to the plan containing the proposed changes and consult on these before we submit the plan to the Secretary of State. If so, we will consult on these proposed changes in the same way as at stage 3.
• Alternatively, we may submit to the examination a list of proposed changes to the published draft plan that have not been subject of consultation. The Inspector will not treat these proposed changes as part of the plan to be examined, but may consider it appropriate for some or all of the proposed changes to be discussed at the Hearing sessions – see stage 6.

Your opportunities for involvement

This is not a consultation stage.

Stage 5 – Submission of the Local plan to the Secretary of State (Regulation 22)

What we will do

• Submit the plan, together with the Sustainability Appraisal and Policies Map, to the Secretary of State.
• Also submit a statement of: who has been consulted; how they were consulted; the main issues raised; and how representations made have been taken into account; and how the requirements of this Statement of Community Involvement have been met.
• Make copies of the submission documents available on the Council's website; at the Council's office; and at local libraries in the district.
• Send a letter or email to the people on the Local Plan database and let them know that the documents have been submitted, and where they can access copies of them.
• Inform people who asked to be notified of the submission of the plan to the Secretary of State that the plan has been submitted.

Your opportunities for involvement

• View the submitted plan and associated documents.

Stage 6 – Independent Examination and Public Hearing (Regulation 24)

What we will do

• Publish on the Council's website, and make available at the Council's office and at local libraries in the district, details of the date, time and place of the Hearing, together with the name of the Inspector.

• Notify anyone who made representations under stage 3 and has not withdrawn them of details of the examination.
• We may ask the Inspector to recommend main modifications to the plan where necessary to make the plan sound and legally compliant. We will publicise, notify and consult on any proposed main modifications and associated documents in the same way as at stage 3 – Publication of the Local Plan.

Your opportunities for involvement

• If you made written comments about the plan at stage 3, you can upon invitation from the Inspector appear at the Hearing to speak in support or against the policies of the plan. Selected participants will receive a programme for the hearing sessions including matters, issues and questions from the Inspector.

• If you aren't participating in the Hearings you can still attend and observe the sessions as they are open to the public. You will also be able to view the Hearing sessions online through the Council's Youtube channel.
• If, following the Hearings, we publish any proposed main modifications you can make a representation on these using the online consultation system, a representation form, or by email or letter. You should note that comments can only be made on the proposed modification, not about any part of the Plan that is not proposed to be changed.

Stage 7 - Publication of the Inspector's Report (Regulation 25)

What we will do

• Publish the Inspector's report on the Council's website and make copies available at the Council's main office and at local libraries in the district.
• Notify anyone who asked to be notified of the publication of the Inspector's report.

Your opportunities for involvement

• View the Inspector's report.

Stage 8 – Adoption (Regulation 26)

What we will do

• Following adoption, we will make available on the Council's website, and Council's main office and at local libraries in the district, the Local Plan, adoption statement, Sustainability Appraisal Report and details of where the Local Plan is available for inspection and the places and times at which the documents can be inspected.

• Send a copy of the adoption statement to any person who has asked to be notified
• Send a copy of the adoption statement to the Secretary of State.

Your opportunities for involvement

• View the adopted plan and associated documents.

Stage 9 – Monitor the Local Plan

What we will do

• Monitor the performance of the plan's policies to see if they are successful in guiding development.
• Publish our results of monitoring through an annual authority monitoring report and make this available on the Council's website.

Your opportunities for involvement

• View the authority monitoring report on our website to see what the plan is achieving for your community, and how the plan is performing.