MATTER 1: OVERALL STRATEGY

MATTER 2: LOCATIONAL STRATEGY

MATTER 3: THE COUNTRYSIDE AND OPEN AREAS OF LAND

MATTER 4: HOUSING

MATTER 5: EMPLOYMENT

MATTER 6: ENVIRONMENT

MATTER 7: ACCESSIBILITY AND TRANSPORT

In June, the Plan will be taken yet another step forward. It will be considered at an Examination in Public (starting on 26th June 2001 at Leicester City Council offices). This involves inviting a variety of people from across the Plan Area to discuss the Plan with the Three Councils. An independent Panel, with a Chair appointed by the Secretary of State, will oversee these public discussions and make recommendations as to what they think would improve the Plan.

The purpose of the Examination in Public is to discuss selected issues, rather than to hear objections. The matters for discussion and the participants to be invited are selected by the local authorities and Panel.

Queries should be directed to the Examination in Public Office Examination in Public Office, 2 Rupert Street, Leicester LE1 5XH Tel: 0116 262 8494 or 0116 262 2219

a. Does Strategy Policy 1 adequately reflect the Government's broad objectives for sustainable development, and is it compatible with the sustainability objectives set out in emerging Regional Planning Guidance for the East Midlands?

b. Does Strategy Policy 1 and the supporting text provide a clear and explicit set of overall aims and objectives from which the policies in the rest of the Plan flow coherently?

(½ day)

Leicestershire County Council
Leicester City Council
Rutland County District Council
GOEM
Blaby District Council
Charnwood Borough Council
Harborough District Council
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
Melton Borough Council
North West Leicestershire District Council
Oadby & Wigston Borough Council
House Builders Federation
George Wimpey Strategic Land Management
Birstall Parish Council
Development Land and Planning Consultants
Desford Village Appraisal Group
English Heritage
English Nature
David Tydesley Associates for The Countryside Agency
Community and Regional Planning Services for the CPRE
Leicestershire Institute of Directors
Viridor Waste Management Ltd
Sport England
Hallam Land Management
Society for the Protection of Rutland
Friends of the Earth
John Herington Associates for Burbage Parish Council

Total 27

a. Is the Central Leicestershire Policy Area (CLPA - proposed new Strategy Policy 2) an appropriate policy tool for establishing a strategic distribution of development? Is the scale of the development proposed in the CLPA appropriate and feasible in the context of the Strategy as a whole?

b. Does the sequential approach set out in proposed new Strategy Policy 3 adequately reflect National and emerging Regional Planning Guidance and does it provide a feasible and appropriate means of guiding the location of all forms of development? Should the Plan promote transport corridors as a policy tool to achieve sustainable development, and should reference to such corridors be included in the Policy?

c. Does Strategy Policy 4 give sufficient guidance on the location, number and scale of strategic greenfield sites? Does it clearly set out the balance and relationship between Housing Policy 3 and Employment Policy 2? Is it consistent with the sequential approach as set out in proposed new Strategy Policy 3?

(1 day)

Invited Participants:

Leicestershire County Council
Leicester City Council
Rutland County District Council
GOEM
Blaby District Council
Charnwood Borough Council
Harborough District Council
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council
Melton Borough Council
North West Leicestershire District Council
Oadby and Wigston Borough Council
South Kesteven District Council
David Tydesley Associates for the Countryside Agency
House Builders Federation
Chapman Warren for David Wilson Estates & Wilson Bowden Developments
Redrow Homes
Samuel Rose Ltd for various clients
Miller Homes
David Lock Associates for Ensor Holdings Plc / Gazeley Properties
Blackfordby and Boothorpe Action Group
Transport 2000
Community and Regional Planning Services for the CPRE
English Nature
William Davis Ltd
Society for the Protection of Rutland
Derek Lovejoy Partnership for J S Bloor
Burbage Matters

Total 27

3. Does the Plan provide appropriate guidance on the protection of, and development within, Green Wedges, Areas of Separation and the Countryside?

a. Does Strategy Policy 6 (Land Uses in Green Wedges) provide an appropriate policy tool to contain and shape future patterns of urban development and thereby protect open areas of land which fulfil important functions in preventing the coalescence of settlements, providing recreation facilities, and preserving landscape and wildlife links? Is there sufficiently clear distinction between Green Wedges and the Areas of Separation (revised Strategy Policy 8)?

b. Are the general locations for green wedges proposed in Strategy Policy 7 the most appropriate, or are there others which merit being added to the list?

c. Does proposed revised Strategy Policy 9, together with the Plan as a whole, provide a framework for development in the countryside which is consistent with sustainable development objectives and the Rural White Paper?

(1 day)

Participants

GOEM
Blaby District Council
Charnwood Borough Council
Harborough District Council
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
Melton Borough Council
North West Leicestershire District Council
Oadby & Wigston Borough Council
Ashby de la Zouch Town Council
Braunstone Town Council
Burbage Parish Council
Enderby Parish Council
Countryside Agency
Farming and Rural Conservation Agency
HBF
Redrow Homes
Samuel Rose Ltd (for various clients)
Old Road Securities
Andrew Thomas Planning (for various clients)
CPRE
Blackfordby & Boothorpe Action Group

a. Are the Structure Plan housing provision figures (Housing Policy 1) consistent with those proposed in the emerging Regional Planning Guidance for the East Midlands, and do they adequately reflect the pattern of housing requirements within the Plan area?

b. Is the Plan's strategic approach to urban capacity realistic and achievable, and within this context is an appropriate quantity, distribution and phasing of additional greenfield housing land proposed (in Housing Policies 2 and 3)?

c. Should land already allocated for housing in local plans be regarded as a commitment, and can all this land be assumed to be in locations that are consistent with the Plan's overall strategy and objectives?

d. Does the Plan contain satisfactory guidance on the provision of affordable housing?

e. Does the Plan contain satisfactory guidance on housing densities?

(1½ days)

GOEM
Blaby District Council
Charnwood Borough Council
Harborough District Council
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
Melton Borough Council
North West Leicestershire District Council
Oadby & Wigston Borough Council
Sileby Parish Council
Lutterworth Town Council
Farming & Rural Conservation Agency
Countryside Agency
House Builders Federation
Bellway Estates
Persimmon Homes
Samuel Rose Ltd (for various clients)
Wilcon Homes
William Davis Ltd
National Housing Federation
NHS Executive
CPRE

5. Does the Plan provide an appropriate strategic framework to meet the employment needs of Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland?

a. Are the Plan's policies on employment and the economy consistent with the guidance in the emerging Regional Planning Guidance and with economic growth prospects in the Plan area, taking into account the East Midlands Development Agency's Regional Economic Strategy and the Leicestershire Economic Strategy?

b. Is the allocation of employment land in Employment Policies 1 and 2 appropriate and consistent with the overall Strategy objectives and is employment land adequately protected? Should employment sites already allocated be regarded as commitments?

c. Is the Plan's approach to development in the vicinity of Junction 23A/24/24A of the M1 (proposed revised Strategy Policy 17) consistent with the emerging RPG?

(1 day)

GOEM
Blaby District Council
Charnwood Borough Council
Harborough District Council
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council
Melton Borough Council
North West Leicestershire District Council
Oadby and Wigston Borough Council
Nottinghamshire County Council
House Builders Federation
William Davis Ltd
David Wilson Estates & Wilson Bowden Developments
Arlington Securities
Donington Park Estates
CPRE
PAIN
WINGS
Transport 2000
Castle Donington Parish Council
East Midlands Development Agency
Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce
Leicestershire Institute of Directors

a. Do proposed new Environment Policies 3 and 3A adequately protect and improve biodiversity?

b. Is the Plan's approach to Strategic River Corridors, as set out in proposed new Strategy Policy 19, consistent with national guidance and the emerging Regional Planning Guidance?

(½ day)

GOEM
Blaby District Council
Charnwood Borough Council
Harborough District Council
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
Melton Borough Council
North West Leicestershire District Council
Oadby & Wigston Borough Council
Hallam Land Management
Hanson Aggregates
Ibstock Property and Mineral Services
Viridor Waste Management
Development Land and Planning Consultants
Countryside Agency
English Nature
English Heritage
Environment Agency
Sport England
Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society
RSPB
CPRE

a. Do the transport policies provide an adequate framework for the development of a more sustainable transport system which will support the overall strategic objectives of the Plan?

b. Is the approach to parking provision (in Accessibility and Transport Policies 7 and 8) consistent with government guidance and with the emergingRegional Planning Guidance? Do these policies strike the right balance between encouraging modal shift, and supporting the viability and vitality of centres?

c. Should any major transport schemes be added to or omitted from the explanatory memorandum text?

(1 day)

Participants

GOEM
Blaby District Council
Charnwood Borough Council
Harborough District Council
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
Melton Borough Council
North West Leicestershire District Council
Oadby & Wigston Borough Council
Derbyshire County Council
Nottinghamshire County Council
HBF
Development Land and Planning Consultants
David Wilson Estates & Wilson Bowden Developments
Railtrack plc
Midland Mainline
Quality Bus Partnership
East Midlands Airport
British Waterways
Cyclists Touring Club
Transport 2000
CPRE
Melton Mowbray and District Civic Society
Caldecott Parish Council