Local Development Plan Pre-Hearing Meeting To Take Place Next Month

An independent examination to assess the soundness of a plan that guides the scale and location of new development, excluding the Brecon Beacons National Park, will continue with a pre-hearing meeting next month. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Welsh Government ministers appointed Mrs Nicola Gulley as Planning Inspector to conduct the independent examination to assess the soundness of Powys County Council’s Local Development Plan. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The pre-hearing meeting will take place on Tuesday 7 February at 11am at the Media Resource Centre in Llandrindod Wells. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The purpose of the pre-hearing meeting is to explain and discuss procedural and administrative matters relating to the management of the examination including: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• the programme for the hearings
• the matters to be examined and related questions
• the running order and participants
• the methods of dealing with representations
• the timetable for submitting any additional materials that may be required (including hearing statements) and any other relevant matters. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The contents and merits of the Plan and the representations will not be discussed at this meeting. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The hearing sessions part of the examination will start on Tuesday 28 March at 11am at the Media Resource Centre in Llandrindod Wells. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

At the start of each hearing session, the inspector will set out a detailed agenda with the points for discussion on each topic. The discussion will focus on the ‘Matters and Issues’ identified on the agenda and the questions posed. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

These sessions will normally take the form of an informal round-table discussion led by the Inspector where the council and those who wish to be heard discus the key points identified. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Only those who have submitted representations seeking to change the Deposit LDP, as amended by Focussed Changes and Further Focussed Changes, (i.e. objectors) whose representations were ‘duly made’ have the right to appear before and be heard by the Inspector at the Hearing sessions and will have been invited to do so by the Programme Officer. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Other interested parties and members of the public may attend these sessions but are unable to speak. These persons should contact the Programme Officer to arrange attendance. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The details of the Programme Officer and information on the LDP Examination can be found at www.powys.gov.uk/ldpexamination ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​