Local Plans - Advice, Support and Scoping
January 2025 Update
We are currently working with the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) and several authorities under two contracts to provide Duty to Cooperate and Evidence Base support for Local Plan production in England.
Over the last 8 years, IPe has provided local plan support to more than 100 local authorities (through both direct commissions and via PAS) and will be pleased to advise you on any aspects of progressing your plan.
The IPe team is committed to the plan led system and passionate about getting effective plans in place at the earliest opportunity. The IPe team has worked at the most senior examining level in the local plans system since the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 was put in place and has direct experience of how Inspectors will approach the most difficult aspects of plan examinations.
Unique Examiner Insight
Through our practical experience we can provide an insight into how an Inspector might approach these and other key issues on submission of your plan, reducing your risk and increasing the prospect of a sound outcome. We aim to head off any problems before they arise and ensure you are equipped with a coherent strategy to deal with the most challenging issues in your plan.
Support Options
Our support can be through a number of channels to meet your needs, including:
- Health check of your plan: We can scope your emerging or draft plan and provide a written report on areas where we think you will be vulnerable at examination.
- One to one support: We can meet officers (at your offices or ours) to discuss issues, provide written briefing and explore likely issues you might need to address at examination. We also have considerable experience of talking directly to elected members about the tensions around the policy requirements and local considerations in plan making.
- Tailored engagement and advice: We can discuss your particular needs around any stage of plan making and build a package of support and engagement that meets your specific requirements.
- Statements of Common Ground (SoCGs): We can provide an independent IPe facilitator to assist in the formulation of SoCGs, including the the convening of workshops and structured discussions.
- Appraisal of the approaches of other authorities: We can research authorities that have tackled issues in similar circumstances to yours, identify why they succeeded or failed, and assess how these approaches (including successfully argued mitigating circumstances) might be read across to assist you in developing your policies.
