Local development plan examinations: guidance for programme officers

Local Development Plan (LDP) examinations are held to determine whether the submitted Plan is sound in accordance with the tests set out in the Development Plans Manual and if it complies with legislative requirements. As part of the process, an independent Inspector is appointed by the Welsh Ministers to hold the examination and to rigorously assess the submitted Plan. A key part of the examination of the process is a series of hearing sessions convened to allow the Inspector to discuss the relevant issues with the local planning authority (LPA) and representors. To ensure that the examination is conducted in an efficient and effective manner, the Inspector is supported by an independent Programme Officer (PO) whose role it is to act as a focal point for the organisation and administration of the process.

The purpose of this guidance is to provides practical advice about the role and responsibility of a PO during LDP examinations. The following is guidance only with no statutory status. However, in the interests of consistency, efficiency and fairness, all parties should follow its general principles, as will Inspectors who may adapt them as necessary for an individual examination while ensuring that no party is prejudiced.

Further guidance in relation to the examination process is set out in: 

• The Town and Country Planning (Local Development Plan) (Wales) Regulations 2005 (‘the LDP Regulations’)
• The Development Plans Manual
• Local development plan examinations: procedural guidance
• Preparing a local development plan for submission

The Programme Officer (PO) is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the examination before, during and after the hearing sessions. This includes assisting the Inspector in formulating the programme of Hearings, recording all documents submitted and dealing with correspondence on the Inspector’s behalf. The various tasks involved require excellent organisation, good record keeping, attention to detail, a willingness to learn new skills, and the ability to use a range of IT software.

The role of the PO is to provide administrative support to the examination. The LPA is responsible for appointing the PO and for the processing of any personal data during the examination. The PO provides the channel of communication between the Inspector, the LPA and the other participants in the examination outside of the hearing sessions and this requires them to be, and to be seen to be impartial, calm, patient, tactful, confident and, when necessary, politely firm. A PO must be a good communicator in person, on the telephone and in writing. They must be able to work alone and to take decisions in relation to their areas of responsibility, referring to the Inspector when in doubt.

The Planning Inspectorate maintains a list of experienced professional POs who LPAs might choose to appoint. PEDW is able to provide a copy of this list on request (PEDW.PlanningandEnvironment@gov.wales). LPAs might also appoint someone internal, but in order to avoid any real or perceived conflict of interest, such a person must not have been part of the planning team involved in any way in the preparation of the LDP to be examined. 

The PO is the link between the participants, the LPA and the Inspector and must be seen as acting independently of the LPA. The PO only takes instructions from and reports to the Inspector.

The Inspector is appointed by the Welsh Ministers to conduct the examination and so it is the Inspector who will decide upon the format and content of the process. In this context, the primary role of the PO is to organise and administer a cost-effective and efficient examination under the direction and guidance of the Inspector. Whilst taking responsibility for their work, the PO must keep the Inspector informed about important correspondence / developments which might have a bearing upon the process, and they must be flexible to adapt to the Inspector’s working style.

Depending on the size and complexity of the examination, an additional Inspector, PEDW Planning Officer and / or specialist advisors may also be included in the team to support the Inspector.

As the PO provides the link between the Inspector, LPA and participants, it is essential that they are in post before the LDP is submitted for examination. Indeed, PEDW will not appoint an Inspector until the LPA has supplied the name, address and e-mail address and telephone number of the PO, and a confidentiality agreement is in place. However, it is beneficial for the PO to be in post when the deposit version of the LDP is published for public consultation (under Regulation 17 of the LDP Regulations or as early as possible, because they could then be involved with managing / organising representations, the examination website and the document library from the outset. The examination website should be up and running upon submission of the LDP to PEDW for examination and certainly by the time the Inspector is appointed.

The workload of a PO can fluctuate considerably throughout the examination process and LPAs should be aware of this when allocating funding. As a guide, a PO’s work might increase from one day per week if appointed at deposit stage, to 2-3 days per week at the submission stage, to full time in the run up to and during the hearing sessions. Once the hearing sessions have closed, the PO should be retained on at least a part-time basis until the Inspector’s Fact Check Report is delivered. After the hearings, the Inspector is likely to need to communicate regularly with the LPA in relation to the Matters Arising Changes (MACs) to the LDP. Problems can arise if there is no direct line of communication between the Inspector, the LPA and, if necessary, other representors.

The Inspector and PO will work closely together during the examination and so it is important for a good relationship to be established as soon as possible between them. The Inspector will usually make initial contact with the PO shortly after they are appointment and, thereafter, it is important that the PO is always easily contactable by the Inspector, by email and telephone. The tight timescales involved in the examination process mean that often, information must be provided, and decisions made quickly.

It is imperative that both the Inspector and the PO remain independent from the LPA and other participants for the duration of the examination. Any contact must be strictly work related. The Inspector will not communicate directly with any party outside of the hearing sessions and so all correspondence will go via the PO. PEDW will write to advise the PO that the Inspector’s work and personal contact details must not be disclosed to anyone, either during or after the examination.

Having regard to the above, a PO must be able to make the following commitments to the examination process:

• To understand that the Inspector drives the examination process and to support him/her to do so;
• To work in a professional and efficient manner;
• To have sufficient capacity to deal with work pertaining to the examination when required, including at short notice;
• To remain independent of the LPA and other participants for the duration of the examination, including socially.

The PO plays a pivotal role in managing the LDP examination. This includes undertaking a range of organisational and administrative tasks in the following key areas:

Office arrangements for the Programme Officer and Inspector

Generally, the PO tends to work from home, unless they are a Council employee and then it may be that they work from the Council offices. Importantly, the PO must be able to access and manipulate the representor database, examination library and website remotely. They must also be able to speak to the LPA, and gain access to relevant documents, without delay.

Whether working from home or not, office accommodation for both the PO and the Inspector should be secured for the duration of any in-person hearing sessions at the hearing venue, well in advance. Often it is necessary for the PO and Inspector to share an office. The office should be:

• At the venue and fairly close to the room being used to hold the hearings;
• Solely for the PO and Inspector rather than shared with other local authority functions;
• Equipped with a desk / table, chairs and stationery etc. Reliable mobile phone and broadband signal should be available as well as access to printing and photocopying facilities.

Arrangements for in-person events

The LPA must provide an appropriate venue for in-person events. This must be accessible by public transport and suitable for people with disabilities. the room and associated facilities must be capable of accommodating all participants, members of the public observing, the press and, if necessary, additional administrative resources. Careful thought should be given to the likely number of people wishing to attend, either as participants or observers, to ensure that the room will be large enough. 

The room layout for the hearings will usually comprise a U-shaped table arrangement for the participants facing the Inspector who, ideally, should be on the same level. Therefore, a formal council chamber will not always be appropriate. Seating for observers should be provided to face the Inspector. The room should be equipped with an appropriate sound / PA system - a roving microphone will not be sufficient. It should also have Wi-Fi to allow participants and the Inspector to access the examination library. To ensure the suitability of the room the PO should check the suitability of the venue at an early stage in the examination process.

Arrangements for virtual events

It is the responsibility of the LPA and the Programme Officer to make the arrangements for Virtual hearings. Virtual hearings will generally be held using Microsoft Teams or Zoom. In order to ensure that all parties are familiar with the use of these platforms, the PO, with the assistance of the LPA, will organise a test event for participants approximately a week before the hearing sessions commence.

In addition, where representors do not have access to or are unfamiliar with the technology, the PO will, with the assistance of the LPA, seek to ensure that suitable equipment and accommodation is provided. 

The representor database

The LPA is responsible for establishing a database to record all the representations related to the examination (e.g. those made at deposit stage or to focussed changes). An excel spreadsheet is usually sufficient, but an access database can also be used. If the LPA is using a web-based database such as ‘Objective’, this can be exported into either Excel or Access for ease of use. POs in post before an LDP is submitted should note that, while they might become familiar with the representations, they should not analyse their content - this is the role of the LPA. The LPA should also decide which representations are “duly made” and only those should be sent to the Inspector.

The representor database should be capable of being updated or manipulated by the PO. It should be structured so that representations can be organised in a variety of ways to assist the Inspector in determining the most efficient way of carrying out the examination. The database should be able to provide the following information, sorted in alphabetical, numerical, policy, paragraph, or site reference order:

• Names and addresses of representatives;
• Names and addresses of agents, and who they are representing;
• Names of Representors who wish to attend the hearing sessions
• Representations seeking changes to the LDP;
• Representations supporting the LDP;
• Representors wishing to appear before the Inspector;
• Representors relying upon written representations, and
• Representations that have been withdrawn.

The database should have a mail merge facility and the ability to search what policy / issue the representor is seeking changes to.

The numbering system for referencing representations is not prescribed, but it should be simple and logical based on the following:

• A personal reference number: to identify the person(s) making the representation. Each person, group, or organisation should have an individual reference number, e.g. starting at 0001;
• representation reference number: to identify each representation made by each person/group etc. These should be distinguishable from the personal reference numbers;
• LDP paragraph, policy or site reference to which the representation relates.

An example might be: 0001/5000/ENV1 (Personal Ref/Representation Ref/Policy Ref). The PO should work with the LPA to ensure that the system is appropriate.

Data protection

By having access to and making use of the representor database the PO will have responsibilities for the security of personal information pertaining to individuals who have commented on the LDP. This commonly includes names, addresses and contact information. 

• LPAs should satisfy themselves that they process people's personal data in line with the relevant statutory duties including UK GDPR. This should be borne in mind when establishing the channels of communication between the PO, the Inspector and the LPA, including the e-mail address / account for the PO.

The examination library and website

The PO should ensure that the LPA keeps the examination library and website up to date. The former must include all documents submitted to the Inspector such as the LDP itself, the evidence base, relevant local and national policy documents and the representations. All documents should have a unique reference number and the library should be easy to navigate. It is helpful to provide direct links to national documents such as the Planning Policy Wales and the Technical Advice Note series and the procedure. Advice about designing the examination web page is provided in Appendix 1.

As the examination proceeds, it will be necessary to add documents to the library and they in turn must be given a logical title and an appropriate reference number. Examination documents are often prefixed ‘ED’, or something similar. The Inspector’s Matters Issues and Questions (MIQ), guidance notes and programmes will need to be added as will any hearing statements, final agendas and new evidence. Formal communications between the Inspector and the LPA and / or all the participants will also need to form part of the library, but informal correspondence between the Inspector and PO should not automatically be added. If the PO is unsure about whether a particular document should be placed on the website, the Inspector should be consulted. 

It is essential that participants can access the examination library through the examination website. This usually forms part of the LPA’s website, although sometimes it can be difficult to find. Thus, the PO should ensure that it can be located quickly and easily and that it is simple to use.

Once the examination has commenced, the website will be the principal source of information for those involved. It must therefore be informative, and new documents should be posted promptly. The PO should ensure that arrangements are in place to enable the website to be updated quickly when requested by the Inspector. The website should have sufficient capacity to hold a large number of documents and be capable of being updated quickly. A failure to keep the website up to date could result in participants being disadvantaged by a lack of relevant information. It is also a statutory requirement that all relevant information is publicly available. It is also a good idea to have a section in the examination website called ‘Latest News’ to make it easier for people to check for updates.

The Programme Officer’s correspondence

The PO will send an initial letter (usually by e-mail) to participants advising them that the examination has commenced and providing information about themselves, the Inspector, the examination website and attach the guidance note for the examination. An example letter is provided at Appendix 2. It will be necessary to write to participants again once the Inspector’s MIQs and hearing programme are available (Appendix 3). Thereafter, participants will generally need to refer to the website for up-to-date information, but the PO will still need to respond to queries from the LPA and individual participants.

It is important that the tone and appearance of any written or e-mail correspondence reflects the impartiality of the PO. LPA headed paper and logos should not be used.

Other meetings

The hearings will usually be the only sessions which are held in public. However, there may be occasions when an Inspector considers that holding a Pre-Hearing Meeting, to inform participants about procedural arrangements for the hearings and examination, or an Exploratory Meeting, to discuss an area of concern, may be necessary.

Where a meeting is required, the PO will need to do the following, and keep the website up to date:

• For in-person meetings, book the venue, having regard to the advice on appropriate venues above;
• For Virtual Meetings, make the relevant arrangement by Teams, Zoom, or another similar platform if agreed with the Inspector;
• Write to all representers advising them of the date, time and agenda of the meeting and asking them if they intend to attend;
• Where appropriate, arrange for translation facilities for the meeting;
• Approximately 2 weeks before the meeting, confirm attendance and check that the venue booked is still suitable;
• Circulate any guidance notes/other materials prepared by the Inspector before the meeting; and
• Publish any notes of the meeting, prepared by the Inspector, on the website in a timely fashion.

The hearing programme and participants

Keeping the hearing programme up to date at an important task for the PO. The Inspectors guidance note will ask participants to advise the PO which sessions they wish to attend by a specific date. The PO should populate the programme with the expected participants, noting that the right to participate in a hearing extends only to those who have proposed changes to the submitted LDP in a representation made as part of the deposit or focussed changes consultation. The starting assumption is that only those who have a right to be heard should attend. This does not include those who are seeking to be involved for the first time or those who support the Plan. This is to help ensure that the process is manageable. In addition, the assumption is that the LPA is responsible for its own LDP and for defending what is in it.

However, an exception should be made for a Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of the Senedd (MS) wishing to attend a hearing to represent their constituents, even if they did not make a representation. In such cases, it would be reasonable for the PO to ask the MP / MS what they wish to speak about and to make the Inspector and the LPA aware. It will also be helpful for the PO to send the MP / MS the Inspectors guidance note. The Inspector can also request the participation of particular organisations or people if that would assist the examination - This can often include public bodies such as the Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales etc. 

The Inspector should be told if large numbers of people wish to participate in particular sessions. Hearings with more than 25 participants can be difficult to manage and so alternative options might need to be explored. These could include asking participants with similar views to nominate a spokesperson or splitting the session to cover different issues separately. Another alternative is to run the same session twice.

Preparation for the hearings 

The LDP Regulations require that the LPA gives six weeks’ notice of the opening of the hearing sessions to anyone who made duly made representations. The PO should check that this has been done. It is good practise to publish the guidance note at this stage along with the draft MIQs and programme. It is also good practice to allow a brief window for the LPA to comment on any key omissions from the MIQs and guidance note.

The Inspector will finalise the programme and agendas (if any) for the hearing sessions having regard to the written statements invited previously. Consequently, the PO should be aware of the deadline for the submission of statements, and it can be helpful to remind participants in good time. Once these statements are received, they should be referenced and sent to the Inspector as quickly as possible. They must also be published on the website, along with the hearing programme and any agendas prepared by the Inspector.

The PO should also use the time before the hearings open to make any final administrative preparations for in-person/physical sessions as follows:

• Bookings for accommodation should be checked. The PO should visit the venue and office accommodation before the hearings commence and the Inspector might wish to do so too.
• Where appropriate, arrangements should be made for translations facilities to be provided at the hearing sessions.
• Practical arrangements for access to the venue, parking and refreshments for the Inspector should be made, although the Inspector will not expect the LPA to provide lunch.
• Water should be available for all participants during the sessions.
• In the case of in-person events, name plates for participants in the hearing session should be made. Stiff card with printed names, large enough to be seen by the Inspector, will suffice.

In the run up to the hearing sessions, the PO is likely to get an increasing number of queries from participants and members of the public. The PO should be available to deal with these in a timely manner.

The hearing sessions 

The hearings themselves are an important part of the examination process. The Inspector will have completed the desk-based assessment of the LDP and will be seeking to clarify any remaining issues concerning soundness at the hearings. In particular, the Inspector will be looking to use the hearings to explore specific soundness issues and what might be done to put things right. This could involve further evidence and / or changes to the LDP (MACs).

The hearings will take the form of a structured discussion which the Inspector leads, inviting contributions from participants at the appropriate time. They will be inquisitorial rather than adversarial and so there will not normally be any formal presentation of cases or cross-examination. If a participant requests that the more formal cross-examination procedure is used in relation to a particular issue, they should expect to make a strong case for the Inspectors consideration, well in advance of the opening of the hearings.

Participants may bring professional experts, Barristers or solicitors with them, but they will be treated as any other participant. Furthermore, if for in-person / physical sessions space is limited at the venue, participants with multiple team members might be required to “hot-desk” so that they neither dominate proceedings, nor take up seats needed for others at the table. However, there is no need to take an overly strict approach on this if there is room at the table.

Whilst it varies between Inspectors and events, hearings are usually held over three days per week to allow sufficient time for preparation in between. If the programme is long, it will often include a break, perhaps after the sessions concerning strategic matters.

The PO should expect to be available during every session to provide technical assistance and, in the case of in-person / physical session to provide advice in relation to seating arrangements at the table and the availability of documents.

Schedule of matters arising changes and reporting

It is likely that some issues of soundness or legal compliance will have arisen during the examination process. LPAs can ask the Inspector to recommend MAC to the LDP to rectify any problems. Most LDPs are subject to such a request.

Following the hearings, the LPA will be required to draw up a schedule of all the MACs proposed which the Inspector is reasonably sure need to be made to the LDP. Finalising the schedule will require the input of the Inspector. The PO must therefore remain in post to manage any exchange of drafts between the Inspector and the LPA. This can be a time-consuming process. It is not carried out in public, but it is possible these exchanges could be subject to a Freedom of Information request. Furthermore, the LPA is required to carry out consultation and possibly Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulations Assessment and an Equalities Impact Assessment of the MACs. The PO will be required to provide the consultation responses to the Inspector and publish them on the website.

The Inspector is likely to start writing their report while the MACs are being prepared and consulted upon, but it cannot be finalised until after this process is complete. Indeed, whilst unusual, it could be necessary for further hearing sessions to be arranged to discuss matters raised in the MACs consultation responses. This would be subject to the same considerations as the main block of hearing sessions, although on a much smaller scale, and would need to be advertised for six weeks in advance to comply with Regulations.

The Inspector’s report

Once complete, the Inspector’s report is subject to an internal peer-review process. It is then sent, by the Planning and Environment Team at PEDW, to the LPA for “fact checking”. When the Inspector has made any necessary amendments, the final report is dispatched. Whilst the PO can be released at the fact-check stage, it is best if they remain in post until the Inspector’s final report is with the LPA. That is when the examination ends.

Before leaving their post, the PO should ensure that the LPA is familiar with any modifications which might have been made to the representor database or document library and that it has full and free access to the system.

The efficient and effective undertaking of LDP examinations is heavily reliant on the examination websites to share information and to assist the Inspector, participants and interested parties in finding the broad range of evidence and documentation associated with the process. As such, it is essential that it is easy for all parties to access and navigate the website.

The exact structure for the examination website is a matter for the LPA. However, outlined below are number of points to consider in the when designing the website and a suggested structure for the site which sets out the minimum requirements.

Points to consider

Although the examination website is likely to be hosted on the LPA’s main website, it should appear as an independent webpage solely for the purposes of the examination. The examination webpage should also be clearly and easily found from the LPA’s main website, preferably through a direct link from the LPA homepage.

Once the examination starts, the website should display the name of the Inspector and the name and contact details for the PO. The PO should take the lead in managing the content of the website and ensuring that it remains up to date. Consequently, they should, wherever possible, be given access rights so the pages can be updated quickly where necessary.

The examination website should be clearly set out and easy to use and navigate. All documents within the examination library should be made as small in file size as possible and be legible when opened.

The examination library must include all relevant documents, including the submission documents, supporting evidence base and assessments, documents from previous stages of the plan-making process and all representations made in both respondent and policy order. LPAs should ensure they meet their GDPR responsibilities when publishing representations to the website. Unredacted copies of representations must be submitted to PEDW for use by the Inspector as part of the LDP submission. This will be done via a secure file sharing platform. 

The library should also include, when produced:

• the Inspector initial questions (if any) and the LPAs reply
• the Inspector’s matters, issues and questions and guidance note
• hearing schedules (and agendas, if used)
• hearing statements
• documents associated with the MACs
• any letters or communications from the Inspector
• the Inspector’s Final Report
• documents relating to the adoption of the plan.

All examination library documents should be easy to find, dated and logically referenced. All related documents (and any subsequent versions of them) should be filed together with the latest version made most prominent.

To aid navigation, documents should be managed and filed into distinct sections within the examination library, based on the key stages of the examination. For example, ‘Submission’, ‘Examination’ and ‘Matters Arising Changes’. All documents must be clearly numbered, and each number should only be used once.

Ideally, it should take no more than three mouse clicks from the main menu of the ‘landing page’ of the examination website to reach any document.

A ‘Search’ tool for the webpage is very useful. The file naming, management and referencing system needs to be logical and as simple as possible to aid the search tool.

Other useful tools within the examination webpage include a ‘Latest News’ section with the latest information about the examination at the top of the webpage and a ‘Timeline’ to indicate the stage the examination has reached.

The examination webpage ‘landing page’ should be regularly updated to relate to the current stage of the examination. For example, if the hearing sessions are coming up then links to the Inspector’s Matters, Issues and Questions, the hearing session programme, guidance notes and hearing statements should all be prominently displayed.

To avoid unnecessary difficulties for those using the site, it is helpful if examination webpages do not change in design format, structure or web address during the examination.

Given the website supports the independent examination, all content should be cleared through the Programme Officer before being uploaded.

Guidance about the accessibility regulations can be found in ‘Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies’ on gov.uk.

Suggested structure of an examination website

Main landing page

Should have a direct link from the LPA website and include: 

• Key details of the examination – date of submission, name of Inspector, Programme Officer and their contact details;
• Timeline of the examination process (including dates set for key stages);
• Latest news - including links to relevant documents for the current stage;
• Search tool for finding documents;
• A link to the examination library; and
• A brief section explaining the purpose of the examination with a link to the PEDW Local Development Plan Examinations: Procedure Guidance.

Examination library

This should be organised to reflect the stages of the examination and should take no more than 3 clicks to arrive at. The library should include the following folders:

• Examination Documents - This should include: the Inspector’s initial letter and the LPA’s responses; the guidance note for the examination; the matters, issues & questions; the hearings timetable and list of participants; and hearing statements; and
• Submission Documents – Which should contain the submission documents, evidence base documents, supporting evidence and statements of common ground.

When / if appropriate the library should be expanded to include the following additional folders:

• Matters Arising Changes Consultation– This should include the Schedule of Matters Arising Changes, supporting documents such as an Integrated Sustainable Appraisal, details of the consultation arrangements and a consultation report; and
• Adoption Documents – Which should include the Inspector’s final report, the adoption notice and adoption statement.

Examples of good practice

Should you require examples of good practice in relation to the design of examination website please contact the Planning and Environment Team at PEDW.

To all Deposit Representors 

Representor Number: XXX

PO postal address, email address & telephone number(s) XXXXX

Dear Sir / Madam 

Examination into the soundness of the (Add the name of the plan being examined)   

My records show that you or your organisation has submitted representations on the (insert name) Local Development Plan (LDP). This is now subject to independent Examination, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the Programme Officer who is responsible for assisting the Inspector with all aspects of the Examination administration.

The Ministers of the Welsh Government have appointed (Insert Inspector name and qualifications) of Planning and Environmental Decisions Wales to conduct the Examination into the soundness of the above Plan. The examination will include a series of public hearings which will be held in person at (insert details of the venue) or virtually using the Microsoft Teams platform. It is expected that these hearings will begin on (Add date) and to continue for 4 weeks or so. 

A draft hearings programme, including a list of potential participants and an outline of the matters to be discussed, has been published on the examination website. Please note that this is a ‘live’ document which is subject to change. The Inspector aims to publish the final timetable for the hearings, a definitive list of participants for each session, and the detailed list of matters, issues and questions, on (add date). 

The hearings will be open to the public to observe, but only those who made relevant representations during the deposit consultation period are eligible to participate. Those who have already indicated to the Council that they wish to be heard have been assigned to relevant sessions as shown on the draft hearings programme. Others eligible to request to attend these sessions (as they have made relevant representations) are also listed but must request to participate.

If you wish to speak at a hearing but are not listed on the programme, and you have made a representation which you consider makes you eligible to give oral evidence at that hearing, please get in touch with me as soon as possible. Please note that any written representations already made will carry equal weight to oral evidence given during hearings. 

Whether or not you are identified as a participant on the draft programme, it is ESSENTIAL that you CONFIRM your intention to speak at a hearing session with me as soon as possible and no later than (Add time and date). If your participation in a hearing has not been confirmed by this date, we will assume that you are content for your views to be dealt with via written representations, irrespective of what you may have previously stated. Your cooperation in this regard is much appreciated.   

It would also be of assistance, if you could confirm your contact details, in particular your email address (if you have one) as future communications will be conducted electronically as far as possible. Please quote your Representor ID shown at the top of this letter in all correspondence. 

The examination website provides up-to-date information about the examination and hearings. Documents submitted by the Inspector, Programme Officer, Local Planning Authority (LPA) and others will be published in the Examination Library section of the website under ‘Examination Documents’.  You should check this website regularly for the latest information, including changes to the programme.

A Pre-Hearing Meeting will be held at (insert time, date and venue) or A Pre-Hearing Meeting will not be held for this examination. Instead, Guidance Notes for Participants have been published on the Examination website alongside this letter. Please ensure that you read these carefully and comply with them during the examination.   

Participants should note that the Inspector will be writing to the Council / LPA with some preliminary questions regarding the LDP and its evidence base. This is purely to facilitate an efficient examination process. This letter and the Council’s / LPA’s response will be published on the examination website in advance of the hearings. 

The LPA provides internet access at public libraries. Details can be found at (Insert para) of the Guidance Notes. If you wish to view hard copies of examination documents, please contact me and I will make the necessary arrangements. 

Correspondence in both Welsh and English is welcomed, and examination documents will be available bilingually. Where some or all participants in a hearing have indicated a preference to communicate in the Welsh language, translation facilities will be arranged. If you intend to speak Welsh at a hearing it would be appreciated if you could confirm this as soon as possible prior to the event so that the LPA can make the necessary arrangements. Not give prior notice will not impact on your right to participate in Welsh, but it may delay proceedings whilst simultaneous translation services are arranged. 

Participants who have specific requirements and require assistance during the examination should contact me as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made. 

If you have any questions about the content of this letter, please contact us via the Programme Officer. 

Yours sincerely

(insert PO’s name)

To all Deposit Representors

Representor Number: XXX

PO postal address, email address & telephone number(s)

Dear Representor,

Examination of the (name of Plan)

I wrote to you on (date of introductory letter) to inform you that the examination of the (name of Plan) had commenced. I can now advise you that the hearing sessions forming part of the examination will open on (date of first hearing) and will be held in-person at (insert venue) or will be held virtually (insert a link). The Inspector has published the following documents concerning the examination, including the hearing sessions: (Likely documents as follows) * Inspector’s Guidance Note * Inspector’s Matters Issues and Questions (MIQs) * Provisional Hearing Programme.

As I indicated in my initial letter, the Inspector’s Guidance Note explains the procedures which will be followed during the examination. It also sets out the arrangements for submitting pre-hearing statements if you wish to do so and requires you to inform me if you intend to participate in the hearings by (date).

The Inspector’s MIQs identify the main issues of soundness and legal compliance upon which the examination will focus, including during the hearing sessions: and the provisional programme sets out the expected dates for the sessions. However, this is subject to change, and you should refer regularly to the examination website:

(website link)

Please find below the key dates for the examination:

(Likely important dates below)

• (date): Deadline to advise me that you wish to participate in the hearings.
• (date): Deadline for the submission of pre-hearing statements (for both electronic and hard copies).
• (date)): Date of first hearing. For subsequent hearing dates, please refer to the Provisional Programme.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Yours sincerely,

(insert PO’s name)