Examination of the West Berkshire Local Plan Review 2022-2039

The Council received the Inspector's Report into the Examination of the West Berkshire Local Plan Review 2022-2039 (LPR) on 8 April 2025. The examination is now closed.

Examination overview

The LPR was submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination on 31 March 2023. A timeline of the examination can be viewed online here.

We received the Inspector's Report on the LPR on 8 April 2025. The Report marks the end of the examination.

The Report outlines the findings of the Inspector, Mr William Fieldhouse, and concludes that with the recommended Main Modifications set out in the Appendix to the Report, the LPR is sound, legally compliant and capable of adoption.

The Inspector's Report and the Appendix to the Report are available to download below:

The Inspector

Planning Inspector, William Fieldhouse BA (Hons) MA MRTPI, was appointed by the Secretary of State to undertake an independent examination into the legal compliance and soundness of the Local Plan.

The Inspector's task was to consider the soundness and legal compliance of the submitted LPR, based on the criteria set out in paragraph 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2021 (the Framework) and associated regulations, namely the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the Localism Act 2011 and the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Inspector took into account the representations submitted on the proposed submission (Regulation 19) LPR as far as they related to legal compliance and soundness.

Hearing sessions

Examination hearing sessions were held between 8 May and 3 October 2024. A Regulation 24 Notice of Examination hearings was published on 19 March 2024. You can view the Regulation 24 Notice of Examination Hearings here [89KB] .

During the hearing sessions, the Inspector asked the Council to undertake additional work on a number of issues. He did this through a series of Action Points issued between May and October 2024. The Inspector then sought additional comments on this work from those participants who attended the relevant hearing sessions. You can view further information on the additional work undertaken here.

Proposed Main Modifications

Based on the outcomes of the hearing sessions and the additional work undertaken, at the request of the Inspector, the Council prepared a number of proposed Main Modifications to the LPR. We consulted on the proposed Main Modifications between Friday 6 December 2024 and 11.59pm on Friday 31 January 2025.

You can find further details about the consultation that took place here.

All representations received by the Council were sent to the Inspector. The representations can be viewed online here.

The Council prepared a brief summary of the main issues raised, and a brief Council response to those main issues. These were sent to the Inspector and published on the online here.

The Inspector considered all of the representations and the Council's responses to them before finalising and issuing his final Report.

The Programme Officer

The Programme Officer, Ian Kemp, acted as the contact for any person who had an interest in the Examination and as a liaison between the Inspector, Council and Representors.

He is an independent Officer of the Examination and worked on behalf of the Inspector to organise and manage the administrative and procedural elements of the Examination process.

Contact details:

Ian Kemp
Programme Officer
PO Box 241
Droitwich
WR9 1DW

Mobile: 0772 300 9166

Email: ian@localplanservices.co.uk

Guidance notes

The Inspector prepared a Guidance Note [190KB] to help people understand the process. A Procedural Guidance for Local Plans has also been produced by the Planning Inspectorate, together with a short guide aimed at those participating in a local plan examination for the first time.

Evidence Base Documents and Examination Library

In preparing the Plan the Council both refers to and was informed by a number of documents that together form the 'Evidence Base' for the Examination. These documents can be accessed through the Examination Library on the dedicated examination webpage which is being hosted by the Programme Officer.