Copeland Local Plan 2021-2038: Examination

Copeland Borough Council has now submitted the Local Plan to the Secretary of State for independent examination.

This page provides the latest updates as the Local Plan progresses through the examination process.

Submission to the Secretary of State

The Copeland Local Plan 2021-2038, comprising the Publication Draft (January 2022) and Addendum (July 2022), was formally submitted to the Secretary on Friday, September 16, for independent public examination. Read our press release about the submission of the Local Plan.

The Planning Inspector

Mrs Caroline Mulloy BSc. (Hons) DipTP MRTPI has been appointed by the Secretary of State as the Inspector. She will conduct an examination into the Local Plan to determine whether it is legally compliant and sound.

The Planning Inspectorate has produced a guide to help participants positively engage in the process.

The Programme Officer

Miny Schofield is the Programme Officer for the examination. She is an independent officer working under the direction of the Inspector and is the point of contact for any correspondence relating to the examination. Miny’s contact details are:

Programme.Officer@copeland.gov.uk
Programme Officer, Market Hall, Market Place, Whitehaven, CA28 7JG
07799724690

Privacy Notice

Copeland Borough Council's Privacy Notice.

Planning Inspectorate Privacy Notice for the Local Plan.

Local Plan Examination Library

All documentation and correspondence associated with the examination can be found in the Examination Library

Latest News

October

03 October 2024

Independent Planning Inspector, Mrs Caroline Mulloy BSc. (Hons) DipTP MRTPI , was appointed by the Secretary of State to examine the draft Local Plan.

The Public Examination of the Copeland Borough Council Draft Local Plan has now concluded, and the Inspector’s final report is available to view here:

The Council received the Inspector’s Final Report on 23 September 2024. The next step will be consideration of the draft Local Plan by the Executive, which will be asked to support its adoption, with the final decision being taken by the Full Council. Further information will be added here as it becomes available.

All future enquiries relating to the Local Plan and the Inspector’s report should be directed to the Council’s Planning team at localplanconsultation@copeland.gov.uk

April

30 April 2024

All responses to the Main Modifications Consultation have now been published and is now on the Examination Library under RF26 - Main Modification Responses

March

28 March 2024

The Main Modifications consultation has now closed. Submitted comments will be made available to view in the Examination Library in due course. The Inspector will now take these comments into consideration before presenting the Council with her Final Report.

February

14 February 2024

The Consulation into the Main Modifications identified by the inspector has now begun. Full details and all documents can be found at Main Modifications Consultation | Copeland Borough Council

June

26 June 2023

The next stage of the Examination in Public will be a consultation carried out by the Council on any proposed Main Modifications which the Inspector deems necessary for the plan to be sound. Due to evidence still outstanding, preparation for this consultation has been paused. The Inspector has now issued a request to the Council with a deadline for receipt of this information. Please see INS07 Inspectors Procedural Note to the Council.

12 June 2023

INS06 Copeland Local Plan Inspectors Post Hearing Letter 09 June 2023 is a now available to view in the Examination Library

March

20 March 2023

Completed actions points as listed in documents CBC43 - Total additional affordable dwellings figures questioned by Home Builders Federation and CBC47 - Map of Combined Sewer in relation to housing allocation HDI1, are now available to view in the Examination Library.

15 March 2023

Document CBC25a - Examination Hearing Action Points List has now been updated to include further completed tasks

08 March 2023

The Copeland Local Plan live hearing sessions closed today. The Inspector will now prepare a post hearing letter to the Council, highlighting the next steps and way forward. During the hearing sessions, several actions points were raised. The Council’s responses to the action points will be added to the Local Plan Examination Library as they become available and highlighted in updated versions of document CBC25 Actions Points List.

Today’s final session on Matter 20 Monitoring & Closing Session Heairng Agenda ended with a Closing Remarks session with the Inspector and the Council. Prior to this session, there was a brief session on the Habitat Regulations Assessment. Further information on any of the sessions may be obtained from the Programme Officer – Miny Schofield 07799 724690.

06 March 2023

HA19 Matter19 Hearing Agenda Implementation and Viability and HA 20 Matter 20 Monitoring & Closing Session Hearing Agenda is a now available to view in the Examination Library.

3 March 2023

Week 3 of the Local Plan Examination hearings closed yesterday. Sessions for week 4 will commence on Tuesday 7th March 2023 at 9.30 am for Matter 14 – Development Standards.

For further information please refer to the ‘Live Hearings Information’ page in the Examination Library.

HA 12 Matter 12 Hearing Agenda - Health Sport Culture and HA 14 Matter 14 Hearing Agenda - Development Standards is a now available to view in the Examination Library.

1 March 2023

HA 18 Matter 18 Hearing Agenda Housing Development Policies is a now available to view in the Examination Library.

February

28 February 2023

Document CBC28 containing site assessment information for sites at Laurel Bank and Red Lonning Playing Fields and providing supporting information for the Matter 10 hearing session for Natural Environment is now available to view in the Examination Library.

28 February 2023

Documents CBC23 - Housing Trajectory, CBC24 Response to Matter 15 Action Point 59-Updated Housing Trajectory and CBC26 Five-Year Housing Land Supply Statement are now available to view in the Examination Library. These documents will assist the discussion on Thursday 2nd March 2023 (9.30am) in the Matter 17 hearing session for The Supply and Delivery of Housing Land.

Matter 15 Opportunity Sites - Hearings continued:

Due to insufficient time during the Matter 15 hearing sessions, not all opportunity sites were addressed. As a result, the remaining sites will be discussed in part, at the end of other hearing sessions over the next 2 weeks. If there is a site for which you wish to attend as a spectator, please contact the Programme Officer with your details and the site details in which you are interested. For all opportunity sites, please refer to the Matter 15 Hearing agenda HA 15.2.

28 February 2023

Week 3 of the Copeland Local Plan examination in public live hearings commence today in the Bainbridge Room at the Copeland Centre in Whitehaven at 9.30am. This week will cover Matters 9,10, 11,13,17 and 18, starting with Matter 13 on Connectivity. For all hearing information and agendas please refer to the Local plan webpages here Copeland Local Plan Examination in Public - Live Hearings Information

27 February 2023

HA 17 Matter 17 Agenda Housing Land Supply is a now available to view in the Examination Library.

23 February 2023

Action points which have arisen during weeks 1 and 2 of the examination hearings may be viewed in document CBC25. As items are completed, the documents will be linked to this list. They may also be viewed in the Local Plan Examination Library

22 February 2023

The following documents are now available to view in the Examination Library:

16 February 2023

Week 3 of Local Plan live hearings will commence on Tuesday 28th February 2023 at 9.30 am for Matter 13 – Connectivity. For a full timetable of dates and sessions, please refer to the ‘Live hearings information’ document in the Examination Library.

13 February 2023

Due to the sessions on Housing Allocations running over the scheduled time last week on Wednesday morning and afternoon for Matter 15, an additional session will be held this week on Thursday 16th February at 9.30am to cover the remaining sites. Please find a new agenda HA15.2 for your information. For sites where other parties had requested to participate, these sites were addressed at the previous sessions. The remaining sites will be discussed with only the Council in attendance on Thursday and spectators are welcome to attend.

7 February 2023

Late submissions accepted by the Inspector, prior to the Matter 15 Housing Allocations hearing session which is due to take place tomorrow morning are as follows:

From Homes England

From Natural England

OTH04 Advice Note from Natural England in response to Persimmon Homes Hearing statements re St Bees

07 February 2023

Week 2 of the Copeland Local Plan live hearings commence today in the Bainbridge Room at the Copeland Centre in Whitehaven at 9.30am. This week will cover Matters 7, 8, 15 and 16. For all hearing information and agendas please refer to the Local plan webpages here: Copeland Local Plan Examination in Public - Live Hearings Information

03 February 2023

The following documents are now available to view in the Examination Library:

CBC13 Final Education Topic Paper
CBC14 Opening Statement by Chris Hoban – Strategic Planning Manager, at the Start of the 2023 Local Plan Examination Hearings
CBC15 Ground Investigation Report for Gypsy and Traveller site GTW5 – Overend Quarry (1988), which was requested by the Inspector during the Matter 5 Hearing session on Other Housing Requirements.

2 February 2023