Purbeck Local Plan - main modifications

The SMM consultation documents comprise: 

• Consolidated schedule of MM (including SMM) - SMMCD1 
• HRA addendum - SMMCD2 
• Sustainability Appraisal addendum - SMMCD3 
• 5-year housing land supply report - SMMCD4 
• Paper with update on Local Housing Need - SMMCD5 
• Paper summarising errors and issues with local plan policies maps - SMMCD6 
• Local plan policies maps: 
  • Key - SMMCD7a 
  • Overview - SMMCD7b 
  • Bere Regis - SMMCD7c 
  • Dorset innovation park - SMMCD7d 
  • Lytchett Matravers - SMMCD7e 
  • Morden - SMMCD7f 
  • Moreton Station – SMMCDg 
  • Swanage - SMMCD7h 
  • Upton - SMMCD7i 
  • Wareham - SMMCD7j 
  • Wool - SMMCD7k 

The relevance of these documents to the local plan’s examination is explained below. 

Consultation documents 

This consultation relates to Supplementary Proposed Main Modifications (SMM) to the Purbeck Local Plan (2018-2034). These are modifications which are necessary to address planning issues of soundness (these are policy tests outlined in the National Planning Policy Framework) and for compliance with legislation relating to the local plan making process. 

We have previously published an initial set of Main Modifications (MM) (2020-2021) and Further Main Modifications (FMM) (2021-2022). The scope of this consultation is expressly limited to revisions presented in the latest SMM which have been drafted following correspondence with the Planning Inspectors and in response to their most recent interim findings and next steps (presented in a letter dated 24 May 2023). 

Alongside the novel text in the SMM the council has also re-presented some of the earlier MM and FMM which have been taken forward for consideration. MM and FMM have already been subject to consultation. The Main Modifications tracker in Appendix 1 of SMMCD1 clarifies whether a policy or supporting text has been subject to MM, FMM and/or SMM. (There is also a summary of a Main Modifications history under the heading ‘Justification’ for each modification presented in the schedule). 

The council is only seeking comments through this consultation on the novel revisions presented in the SMM, not proposed modifications presented in earlier consultations relating to MM and FMM. 

The schedules of earlier proposed main modifications (MM and FMM), and the relevant consultation documents, can be found on this page of the council’s website. 

SMM have been prompted by changes in circumstances, updates to evidence on local housing need and housing supply, and in response to the issues raised in correspondence between the Inspectors and the Council following the additional hearing held in July 2022. The SMM have been subject to Habitats Regulation Assessment (SMMCD2) and Sustainability Appraisal (SMMCD3). Alongside the SMM the Council is also presenting revisions to the local plan policy maps and proposing a number of factual updates resulting from Local Government Reorganisation. 

Once the consultation is closed, the council will prepare a summary of the issues raised in representations and provide its response. The council’s summary, and full copies of the representations, will then be published and sent to the Planning Inspectors for consideration. The Inspectors will then make a recommendation around the next stages of the local plan’s examination taking account of the issues raised in the representations. 

The proposed modifications in SMMCD1 are displayed as follows: 

• additional text is presented in bold and underlined; and  
• any text which the council suggests should be deleted is struck through. 

The presentation of proposed modifications in this version of SMMCD1 strictly follows Planning Inspectorate guidance which stipulates that formatting should be applied to clearly distinguish between text to be inserted and deleted. 

Alongside this version of SMMCD1 the council has also prepared a screen reader accessible version of SMMCD1. There is also a link to screen reader accessible versions of SMM that are presented on its online response platform for those people wishing to make use of a screen reader. The screen reader accessible versions of SMM do not adhere to the Planning Inspectorate guidance on the presentation of Main Modifications. In these versions text to be inserted is not marked with bold or underlined, and any text that the council suggests should be deleted has been removed from the documents rather than struck through. Respondents seeking to provide a response online will initially encounter a version of the main modifications which adheres to Planning Inspectorate guidance. Respondents wishing to consider the screen reader accessible version of the modification through the online response form will need to actively follow a link to this draft version of the document. 

Purbeck Local Plan - Further Proposed Main Modifications

In response to comments received on the Purbeck Local Plan Proposed Main Modifications Consultation, which closed earlier this year, we consulted on limited Further Proposed Main Modifications around Policy V2 and I5, which are considered to be necessary to ensure that the plan is sound.

We invited comments on the:

• FMMCD1: Interim Mitigation Strategy for Heathland Habitat Sites (2018/19 to 2023/24)
• FMMCD2: Sustainability Appraisal
• FMMCD3: Habitat Regulation Assessment
• FMMCD4a: Interim heathland mitigation projects Memorandum of Understanding between Natural England and Dorset Council, November 2021
• FMMCD4b: Memorandum of understanding between Dorset Council and Dorset Wildlife Trust, September 2021
• FMMCD4c: Memorandum of understanding between Dorset Council, Wyatt Homes and Natural England, September 2021
• FMMCD4d: Memorandum of understanding between Dorset Council and Bournemouth Canine Association, August 2021
• FMMCD4e: Memorandum of understanding between Dorset Council and Moreton Estate, November 2021
• FMMCD5a: Inset map for Morden
• FMMCD5b: Overview map
• FMMCD5c: Key to policies maps

Their importance and context are explained below. 

Further Proposed Main Modifications consultation December 2021

The Purbeck Local Plan Examination Interim Mitigation Strategy for Heathland Habitat Sites (2018/19 to 2023/24) sets out Further Proposed Main Modifications around policy V2 and I5 and considers a range of projects that could provide heathland mitigation in the event that the strategic SANG at Morden is not delivered.

The key Further Proposed Main Modifications (referenced as FMM6, FMM7, FMM76 and FMM77) are detailed in Appendix 5 of the FMMCD1: Purbeck Local Plan Examination Interim Mitigation Strategy For Heathland Habitat Sites (2018/19 to 2023/24).

These Further Proposed Main Modifications give rise to a series of minor consequential Further Proposed Main Modifications: FMM3, FMM66 and FMM82, which are set out in Appendix 6 of the FMMCD1: Purbeck Local Plan Examination Interim Mitigation Strategy For Heathland Habitat Sites (2018/19 to 2023/24).

The proposed modifications are displayed as follows:

Additional text is presented in bold and underlined and any text which the council suggests should be deleted is struck through.

A number of minor errors and typographical mistakes have been identified in the Interim Mitigation Strategy. The errors and mistakes are listed as errata which you can view by following this link to 'Errata - Interim mitigation strategy for heathland habitat sites (2018/19 to 2023/24)'. 

Responses to the further proposed main modifications

We have received and shared with the Inspector, the following responses on the Proposed Further Main Modifications:

Responses 1 to 26; and

Responses 27 to 30.

We have also written to the Inspector to update her on our consideration of the issues raised in the responses. The council's consultation response document includes its summaries of the matters and issues raised in the representations and its response. 

Main modifications

Planning law allows local plans to be modified after they have been submitted. Modifications are divided into two categories:

1. Those that are needed to make the plan legally compliant or sound – these are referred to as proposed Main Modifications; and

2. Those that are needed to correct minor errors or factual inaccuracies (these changes are not required in order to make the plan legally compliant or sound) – these are referred to as Additional Modifications.

Following hearing sessions in 2019, and after considering a Post Hearing Note from the Planning Inspector, the council has prepared a schedule of proposed Main Modifications [MMCD1] to the local plan which are considered necessary to ensure that the plan is legally compliant and/or sound. The consultation draft composite list of proposed Main Modifications supersedes those presented earlier in the examination process in SD14. Each proposed Main Modification has been given an updated reference for the current consultation. (The references in SD14 will not be used for the current consultation).

For each proposed Main Modification the council has presented:

• the policy, or supporting text, as it was drafted in the submission draft version of the Purbeck Local Plan [SD01a];
• an explanation of why the changes are needed in order to make the local plan sound or legally compliant; and
• a modified version of the policy, or supporting text, showing the changes from the text, as it was drafted in the submission draft version of the local plan. (Any additional text is presented in bold and underlined and any text which the council suggests should be deleted is struck through. Where appropriate, the proposed Main Modifications indicate where a new paragraph would be inserted).

These proposals were presented in a tracked version of the submission draft of Purbeck Local Plan.

The council also presented a document showing minor typographical errors along with an updated drafts of composite schedule of proposed Main Modifications (MMCD1) and published these on 3 December 2020. The tracked version of the submission draft Purbeck Local plan was also revised to reflect the corrections in MMCD1.

The council has also prepared an updated version of the Purbeck Local Plan (2018-2034) policies map(s) [MMCD2]. The Purbeck Local Plan (2018-2034) policies map only relates to those policies in the local plan. This policies map(s) [MMCD2] does not refer to policies or policies maps of the other development plan documents. For further information on the policies map please refer to a paper prepared by the council.

• Bere Regis inset map
• Lytchett Matravers inset map
• Upton inset map
• Swanage inset map
• Morden inset map
• Moreton inset map
• Wool inset map
• Wareham inset map
• Dorset Innovation Park inset map
• Key to maps

Updated assessments and supplementary evidence

As part of work on the proposed Main Modifications, and in response to changes in planning laws following examination hearing sessions in 2019, the council has prepared updates to previously published evidence and supplementary evidence including:

• Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) [MMCD3];
• Sustainability Appraisal of main modifications (SA) [MMCD4];
• 5 Year Housing Land Supply 2020 [MMCD5];
• Infrastructure Delivery Plan [MMCD6]; and
• Dorset Council response to The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020 [MMCD7].

Relevant submission documents published in the course of the examination

The Council published a series of papers and supporting evidence, in response to representations, made over the course of the local plan hearing sessions and to the pre-submission draft plan. It has also re-published a selection of these papers and evidence which relate to the proposed Main Modifications including:

• Review of capacity from small sites [SD88];
• Proposed Amendments to HRA [SD89];
• Appropriate assessment statement [SD96];
• Addendum to SA re settlement hierarchy [SD92];
• Strategy for mitigating effects on European sites, and Green Belt changes at Morden [SD93];
• Summary of viability issues raised by respondents and Council / Dixon Seale response to those concerns [SD97];
• Examination stage – viability update Purbeck Local Plan [SD117];
• Memorandum of understanding between Dorset Council and Savills on viability related issues for housing sites around Wool October 2019;
• Memorandum of understanding between Dorset Council and Wyatt Homes on viability related issues for Lytchett Matravers and Upton October 2019;
• Memorandum of understanding between Dorset Council and the Moreton Estate on viability related issues for Moreton Station/Redbridge Pit October 2019;
• Proposed changes to care provision [SD95]; and
• [SD115].

All of the submission documents [SD] can be viewed on the Local plan examination webpage. Whilst the council’s previous assessment of Housing Need [SD85] and its Review of Sources of Housing Supply [SD86] are no longer up-to-date these papers have informed the preparation of the 5 Year Housing Land Supply [MMCD5] presented in this consultation.

Responses to the main modifications consultation

After the consultation on the composite schedule of proposed Main Modifications closed we have been working on processing the representations that the council received and preparing a consultation response document.  The council's consultation response document includes its summaries of the matters and issues raised in the representations and its response.  

Responses 1 to 21

Responses 22 to 35

Responses 36 to 40