Regulation 16 Examination Process
Updated 29/02/2024
Broxtowe Decision Statement
Cabinet resolved at its meeting on Tuesday, 6th February 2024, that:
- The Chetwynd: The Toton and Chilwell Neighbourhood Plan should be modified as proposed by the Independent Examiner.
- Once modified as proposed by the Independent Examiner, it is considered the Neighbourhood Plan will meet the Basic Conditions and other legislative requirements.
- The Chetwynd: The Toton and Chilwell Neighbourhood Plan should proceed to a referendum, with the extent of the area eligible to vote to be based upon the Chetwynd: The Toton and Chilwell Neighbourhood Area as shown within appendix 1 to the report.
Further information in relation to this decision can be found on the Council’s website page for this meeting (Opens in a New Window).
The Borough Council has now produced a ‘Decision Statement’ (Opens in a New Window).
Updated 26/01/2024
We have now received the Examiner’s Final Report and Broxtowe have updated the information to the relevant page on their website. This concludes the Examination of the Neighbourhood Plan. The report will be considered at the Council’s Cabinet meeting on the 6th February 2024, following which the Neighbourhood Plan should be able to move forward to Local Referendum for approval by the community the Forum serves.
Details of this and the remaining steps to Plan adoption to follow here in due course.
Updated 04/12/2023
We received the following on the 27th November 2023:
“I thought it timely to provide you with an update on your report following a meeting with Ms Kingaby last Friday.
We reviewed the audit trail of all the documentation to date and the Examiner now has a window to make good progress with your report. You will appreciate the examination has unfortunately been extremely protracted and, as a consequence, Ms Kingaby has had other work scheduled to which she has had to adhere to the indicate programmes (in the absence of any significant issues arising). However, we recognise that you will wish to complete the examination prior to Christmas, and we very much hope to be in a position to provide you with a date for the receipt of the fact check version report shortly.
I will update you again in the next 10 working days. ”
Updated: 06/10/2023
Broxtowe Borough Council and the Chetwynd: The Toton and Chilwell Neighbourhood Forum sent the Independent Examiner a covering letter (together with the limited & focussed consultation responses) setting out our joint principal responses to the representations received on the Proposed Amendments to the Chetwynd: The Toton and Chilwell Neighbourhood Plan. Subsequently, the Independent Examiner has now sent the Borough Council and Neighbourhood Forum a further Procedural Letter in which she staes that she is “now progressing my report to bring the examination to a conclusion. Accordingly, I wish to make clear that I do not wish to receive any further letters, emails or similar unsolicited submissions unless I specifically request clarification on a particular matter.”
The two letters are available via the link below:
Updated 16/09/2023:
Broxtowe Borough Council invited comments on the proposed amendments to the Chetwynd: The Toton and Chilwell Neighbourhood Plan and the Policies Map during a consultation that ended on 25th August. One respondent requested a two week extension which has now passed. All the consultation responses received are available via the link below:
Updated 13/07/2023: We have received a further Procedural Letter from the Examiner for the Focussed consultation on the proposed amendments to the Plan agreed between Broxtowe Borough Council Planning Department and the Forum.
Updated 30/03/2023: On 27th March we received a further Procedural Letter from the Examiner setting out information in relation to the next steps for the Independent Examination of the Neighbourhood Plan. She has suggested that there should be a “proportionate opportunity for those who responded at the earlier Regulation 16 consultation stage (and all those who took part in the hearing session in November 2022) to submit any relevant comments” on the proposed modifications made to the Plan.
Updated 11/03/2023: Following ongoing discussions between the Steering Group, the Broxtowe Planning Team and our consultant, updated and modified text for the Neighbourhood Plan was submitted to the Independent Examiner by Broxtowe on the 8th March 2023 (following an agreed deadline extension), together with a schedule of amendments. The text includes some further amendments to the Policy section previously submitted on 3rd February. We all believe this is a much stronger document, but it is for the Examiner to approve the changes.
Updated 28/01/2023: The modifications requested by the Examiner (see below) to the Neighbourhood Plan policies section is nearly complete. The Steering Group has been working closely with the Broxtowe Planning Team and our own consultant to ensure that the policy wording has been strengthened and any ambiguity removed, in line with the suggested modifications. The final policy wording will be submitted to the Examiner for her approval by 3rd February. Next steps will be advised in due course.
Updated 20/12/2022: Here are the links to the Examiner’s Post Hearing Letter and Annexwhich identify the potential changes needed to the Neighbourhood Plan
Updated 15/11/2022: Here are links to the Examiner’s Post Hearing Note and the Local Greenspace Designation document used by the Forum. Highlights (from the Neighbourhood Forum’s perspective) are that the Examiner is “satisfied that substantive modification is needed” before she “shall be able to recommend that the Plan can proceed” and she intends “to give further guidance on necessary modifications to specific policies and sections of the Plan to the Forum in due course”.
Also important is her point that “the Neighbourhood Forum should aim to align with the SPD, even if the latter has had a shorter preparation period than the CTTCNP (2020 start compared with 2017) and has not yet been finalised”.
Once we receive the Examiner’s guidance on the necessary modifications, we will work with Broxtowe and other key stakeholders to enable the Neighbourhood Plan to go forward to referendum.
Updated 10/11/2022: The Youtube Video of the Examination is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch-c4OK2Z44. Its a long meeting ( 10:00 am to 17:00 pm).
Update 03/11/2022: As allowed, the Forum has submitted a statement to the Independent Examiner ahead of the public hearing to be held on 10th November, in compliance with her requirements. This should appear alongside other submissions on the Broxtowe Website as below. However, it is included here for completeness.
The Public Hearing for the Independent Examination of our Neighbourhood Plan is scheduled to start at 10:00 am on Thursday 10th November 2022 in the New Council Chamber in the Council Offices in Foster Avenue in Beeston. Documents for the examination are on the council’s website here: https://www.broxtowe.gov.uk/for-you/planning/planning-policy/neighbourhood-planning/chetwynd-the-toton-and-chilwell-neighbourhood-plan/
Broxtowe Borough Council responded on the 13th September 2022 to the Examiner’s initial letter. Broxtowe’s Page on our Neighbourhood Forum will be updated as things progress.