Find out the latest information about the Purbeck Local Plan
Purbeck Local Plan – Supplementary Proposed Main Modifications
Following an examination hearing held in July 2022, and correspondence with the Planning Inspectors examining the Purbeck Local Plan, we have published a set of Supplementary Proposed Main Modifications (SMM) to the Purbeck Local Plan. We have also published several other documents related to the SMM.
The consultation into SMM closed at 11:45pm on 22 December 2023. We are not accepting any further representation on the SMM.
An Equalities Impact Assessment has been undertaken relating to the consultation into SMM.
The SMM consultation documents comprise:
The relevance of these documents to the local plan’s examination is explained below.
Consultation documents
The consultation documents relate 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). SMM were 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 schedules of earlier proposed main modifications (MM and FMM), and the relevant consultation documents, can also be found on this page.
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.
Responses to supplementary proposed Main Modifications
We have received the following responses on the Supplementary Proposed Main Modifications:
The council has also prepared a summary of the issues raised in these representations and its response to these issues. Download the council’s consultation response document. Both documents have also been referred 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.
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:
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:
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Those that are needed to make the plan legally compliant or sound – these are referred to as proposed Main Modifications; and
- 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.
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:
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:
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
