Purpose

The Crawley Local Plan Review has been
undertaken to ensure the borough's Local Plan remains up-to-date.
The new Crawley Borough Local Plan has been prepared based on the
outcomes of monitoring the implementation of the 2015 adopted Local
Plan, feedback from previous stages of formal public consultations
and updating the supporting technical evidence base.

Following Full Council, held on 22 February 2023, which approved
the Draft Local Plan for Publication and Submission, formal public
consultation took place between May and June 2023.

The draft Local Plan was Submitted to the Secretary of State for
its independent Examination on 31 July 2023. Two Inspectors were
appointed to carry out the Examination of the Plan. Examination
Hearing Sessions were carried out in two parts, held during
November 2023 and January 2024.

Following the discussions at the Hearings, the Inspectors issued a
post-hearing letter, dated 31 January 2024. The council published
Main Modifications to the Local Plan, arising from the
Inspectors’ letter, for a formal six-week public consultation
between February and March 2024. Subject to the Inspectors’
consideration of the representations received during this public
consultation, the council is anticipating to receive the
Inspectors’ final Report into the legal compliance and
soundness of the Crawley Borough Local Plan in late May/early
June.

The Crawley Borough Local Plan 2023-2040 is supported by a number
of statutory supporting documents (including a Local Plan Map, a
Sustainability Appraisal, a Habitats Regulations Assessment and a
Consultation Statement) and a substantial technical evidence
base.

Cabinet are to be asked to recommend to Full Council to approve the
Crawley Borough Local Plan 2023-2040 for its adoption, in
accordance with the recommendations, and subject to the Main
Modifications necessary for soundness, set out in the
Inspectors’ Final Report.

Should the council not receive the Inspectors’ Final Report
in sufficient time for the anticipated programme, then it would be
necessary to reconsider the timetable for a later committee cycle.
Further, should the Inspectors require the council to undertake
additional work, issue further instructions or reopen the hearing
sessions, delays to the progression of the Local Plan would be
incurred.

Content

RESOLVED

That Full Council be recommended to adopted and
published, the submitted Crawley Borough Local Plan 2023-2040 (May
2023) and Local Plan Map, amended to include all the Main
Modifications recommended by the Planning Inspectors to make the
Plan ‘sound’, together with other consequential and
minor amendments as additional modifications, in accordance with
Regulation 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Local
Planning) (England) Regulation 2012 and Section 23(2) and (3)
of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as
amended by s112(3) of the Localism Act 2011), as set out
in report
PES/459.

Reasons for
the Recommendations

 

a)            
National
government guidance expects local planning authorities to produce
up-to-date Local Plans for their areas over a 15-year timescale,
setting out the strategic priorities for the area and showing how
development needs will be met.

b)            
The new
Crawley Local Plan will ensure the town’s future development
and infrastructure needs can be delivered to support the
sustainable economic growth of the borough, within its accepted
physical constraints, and whilst continuing to protect its
important built and natural environmental assets.

c)            
Substantial
‘early engagement’, a detailed technical evidence base
undertaken throughout the Local Plan’s preparation, three
periods of formal statutory consultation, and scrutiny through an
independent Examination, has shaped a justifiable, robust and
practical framework against which future development decisions can
be made.

d)            
Planning
legislation requires local planning authorities to submit every
development plan document, including Local Plans, to the Secretary
of State for independent examination. Section 23 of the 2004 Act
establishes the legislation pertinent to the adoption of local
development documents. This confirms that where the person
appointed to carry out the examination recommends modifications to
make the Plan sound, the authority may adopt the document with main
modifications and any additional modifications the authority
considers necessary which would not materially affect the document;
s23(4) confirms that the authority must not adopt a development
plan document unless it is done in accordance with this
clause. In order to become the
council’s statutory Local Plan, it must be adopted by way of
a Full Council Decision.

e)            
The
Inspectors’ Final Report was received by the council on 6
September 2024. This has been published on the council’s
website and has been attached as an Appendix to this Cabinet Report
(Appendix B). The Inspectors have found the Crawley Borough Local
Plan 2024-2040 to be legally compliant and sound subject to a
number of Main Modifications which are set out in the Final
Inspectors’ Report. These Main Modifications have been made
to the final version of the Crawley Borough Local Plan 2023-2040
(October 2024) which is to be considered alongside this Cabinet
Report (Appendix A). Minor additional modifications have also been
incorporated to ensure the Local Plan is up to date, factually
correct and internally consistent. These are set out in a schedule
(Appendix C). These are in addition to those which were published
by the council alongside the Main Modifications
consultation.