Independent Examination of the DMD

Consultation on the submission version of the DMD closed on Wednesday 11 April 2012. A copy of the representations received and the Authority's Response (PDF Help 679kb) is available to view.

The DMD was submitted to the Secretary of State on Monday 14 May 2012. The Inspector appointed to undertake the examination is Mr Andrew Seaman BA (Hons), MA, MRTPI. The examination process is concerned with the legal compliance and soundness of the document as a whole and the examination will focus on the main issues of concern, not individual representations. You can find more information on the examination of local plans on the Planning Portal (external link, opens in new window) or by reading A Brief Guide to Examining DPD's (PDF Help 77kb) (External website, opens new window)

You can view the publication version of the DMD and read background information on the preparation of the DMD.

Revocation of the South West Regional Strategy

The Secretary of State has announced the Government’s decision to revoke the Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West and an Order will come into effect on the 20th May 2013. The Inspector has advised that an opportunity be offered for comment on any implications arising from the revocation.

If you consider the revocation will affect any particular matter relevant to the content of the Development Management and Delivery Development Plan Document, or its examination, please send your comments to the DMD Programme Officer, to arrive by 5.00pm on Monday 13th May 2013. Please provide your unique respondent number. All comments will be forwarded to the Inspector for his consideration following which it is anticipated that his report can be finalised.

Invitation for comments relating to the revocation of the RSS (PDF Help 37kb)

Publication of the Inspector's Main Modifications

The Inspector prepared a schedule of proposed main modifications to the submitted Plan and advised that these modifications should be made available for public comment before his report is finalised. These are modifications which have to be made to the DMD to ensure that it becomes a legally compliant and sound document, and will have to be applied to the submitted version of the DMD if the Authority wishes to formally adopt the plan.

The six week consultation on the main modifications closed on the 12 April 2012, the responses to the consultation are available to view below.

Inspector's Proposed Main Modifications (PDF Help 208kb) (Erratum - Reference DNPA ref. 52 ‘Amend policy DMD11’, page 6: Please note that the plain text in subsections (ii), (iii) and (iv) should be shown underlined, indicating that they are additions of text.)

Consultation responses on the Proposed Main Modifications (April 2013) (PDF Help 208kb)

Post hearings correspondence with the Inspector

DNPA letter to Inspector (24 January 2013) (PDF Help 204kb)
Inspector's Letter (21 January 2013) (PDF Help 172kb)
Letter from DNPA to the Inspector (8 January 2013) (PDF Help 171kb)
Letter to DNPA from the Environment Agency (8 January 2013) CD11/18 (PDF Help 46kb)
Paper covering the sequential & exception tests for proposal MTN2 CD11/15 (PDF Help 2.30Mb)
Paper covering the sequential & exception tests for proposal ASH2 CD11/16 (PDF Help 1.36Mb)
Paper covering the sequential & exception tests for proposal BCK3 CD11/17 (PDF Help 1.34Mb)
Inspector's Procedural Letter (24 December 2012) (PDF Help 119kb)

Examination Hearings

Hearings have now closed. The Authority is expecting correspondence from the Planning Inspectorate in the New Year confirming the likely timetable for the Inspector's Report. It is currently anticipated the Report will be received towards the end of January, or the beginning of February 2013. This web page will be kept up to date with information on the Examination.

The public hearings were held on Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5, Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 December 2012. A draft Hearing Programme ( PDF Help 92kb) was been published along with draft matters and issues which the Inspector considered during the Hearings;

- Matter 1 and Matter 3 - Tuesday 4 December 2012 (AM) - Plan Preparation and Legal Compliance and Part 2 of the Plan - Social, Health and Well Being (Housing) (PDF Help 88kb)
- Matter 2 - Wednesday 5 December 2012 - Part 2 of the Plan - Justification, Consistency and Effectiveness (PDF Help 80kb)
- Matter 4 - Wednesday 12 - December 2012 Settlement Policies (PDF Help 57kb)
- Matter 5 - Thursday 13 December 2012 - Delivery and Monitoring (PDF Help 48kb)

Hearings - Additional Written Correspondence

Respondents were permitted to amplify their original representations and or respond to the Schedule of Matters and Issues. The closing date for further submissions was 20 November 2012 and can be viewed below.

Respondent Number	Respondent Name	Hearing Session	Statement
04/01/SBR1/FWS	WYG Planning	Supplements written representations	Statement (PDF Help 80kb).
008/01/MTN2/FWS	Wollen Michelmore Solicitors (on behalf of B Thompson and Sons (Transport) Limited)	Wednesday 12 December. Hearing 3, Matter 4	Statement (PDF Help 163kb).
13/01/3.6/3/FWS	WYG Planning	Wednesday 12 December. Hearing 3, Matter 4	Statement (PDF Help 212kb). Site Location Plan (PDF Help 640kb).
24/05/DMD21/FWS	PCL PLanning	Supplements written representations	Statement (PDF Help 208kb).
151/01/YEL/FWS	Miss A Steers	Tuesday 4 December Hearing 1, Matter 3. Wednesday 12 December Hearing 3, Matter 4	Statement (PDF Help 108kb).
	Moretonhampstead Parish Council	Wednesday 12 December Hearing 3, Matter 4	Letter to Moretonhampstead Parish Council (PDF Help 16kb).
	Environment Agency	Wednesday 12 December Hearing 3, Matter 4	Letter to the Authority (PDF Help 88kb).
	NPS Group	Wednesday 12 December Hearing 3, Matter 4	Letter to the Authority (PDF Help 34kb).

Hearings - Additional Submissions by DNPA

Authority's letter (20 November 2012) (PDF Help 156kb).

Tuesday 4 December 2012(am) Hearing 1, Matter 1, Issue 9 (PDF Help 92kb).

Tuesday 4 December 2012 (pm) Hearing 1, Matter 3, Issues 3.3, 3.4 and 3.7 (PDF Help 160kb).

Wednesday 12 December 2012 Statement of Common Ground between DNPA and CSJ Planning Hearing 3, Matter 4, Issue 6. Proposed minor modification (Ref 020) - allocation of BCK3: Redevelopment at Devonia Products Mill (PDF Help 32 kb).

Following consideration of the historic environment policies in chapter 2.10 (policies DMD8 – DMD12) at Hearing 2 (Wednesday 5 December), minor amendments (PDF Help 200kb) are proposed to improve the clarity and focus of those policies.

Hearings - Additional information presented to the Authority by CSJ Planning in respect of BCK3 (Devonia Products)

Letter from CSJ Planning (20 November 2012)

(PDF Help 148kb).

draft Histroic Buildings Appraisal (November 2012)

(PDF Help 1.62MB).

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (October 2012)

(PDF Help 4.2MB).

Constraints and Opportunities Maps: Geotechnical (PDF Help 76kb), Flood Risk (PDF Help 72kb), Ecology (PDF Help 84kb), Climate (PDF Help 84kb), Building Use and Heritage Assets (PDF Help 84kb), Access (PDF Help 96kb).

Pre-Hearing Meeting - 25 October 2012

The Pre-Hearing Meeting was held on 25 October 2012 at the Authority's offices at Parke. The Inspector outlined how the public hearings, commencing on 4 December 2012 will be conducted and the procedures to be followed. A copy of the notes from the Pre Hearing Meeting (PDF Help 163kb) is now available to view.

Respondents who have requested appearance time at the Examination should check the draft Hearing Programme ( PDF Help 92kb) carefully and note the session(s) allocated to their representation(s). If your name is not listed and you wish to appear, please the Programme Officer immediately. Similarly, if you are listed and do not wish to attend, or have indicated proceeding by written representation and now wish to participate at the hearings, please contact the Programme Officer. Contact details can be found below.
Representors have the opportunity to amplify their original representations in response to the Matters and Issues identified by the Inspector (see above) and should be submitted to the Programme Officer by 20 November 2012. Further guidance on the format of additional representations and statement of common ground can be found within the notes form the Pre Hearing Meeting (PDF Help 163kb).

Please note that the Hearings are held in public and therefore available for anyone to observe. Reference to 'attending the Hearings' are in relation to attending and participating orally.

A copy of the Inspectors invite to the Pre-Hearing Meeting (PDF Help 148kb) is available to view, along with the Pre-Hearing Meeting Agenda (PDF Help 74kb)and Pre-Hearing Meeting Notes (PDF Help 151kb).

Examination Update (September 2012)

The Examination is ongoing and additional information prepared by the Authority has been forwarded to the Inspector (see below). Following the Inspector’s consideration of this new evidence, it is anticipated that the Inspector will convene a pre hearing meeting to which all individuals and bodies that raised concerns at the soundness of the submitted Plan will be invited. This meeting is essentially procedural and will set out how the remainder of the Examination will be progressed.

The Inspector will set out a range of Matters and Issues which will form the basis of the public hearing sessions that will be held thereafter. These may cover topics such as transport, site allocations and housing. Consultees who have previously made a duly made representation upon, for example, housing allocations will have an opportunity to attend the relevant hearing session where the Inspector will lead a structured discussion designed to assess the 'soundness' of the Authority's planned approach.

The Examination timetable is likely to extend towards 2013 although the Inspector hopes to hold the public hearing sessions in November or December 2012. Further details will be published as soon as possible.

Additional supporting information - September 2012

Further to the Procedural Meeting the Authority has published additional information in support of the DMD. This has been added to the list of Core Document (supporting evidence), but is listed separately below for convenience.

Authority's letter (5 September 2012) (PDF Help 173kb)
- Assessment of consistency with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (PDF Help 316kb)
- Environmental Report Stage B Section 6: Additional Data (PDF Help 1mb)
- CD8/1 Environmental Report August 2012 Version 3 (PDF Help 10mb) (please note - large file - requires fast connection - alternatively the document is split into parts below)
- Habitat Regulations Assessment (Appropriate Assessment) Screening Report (V6) (PDF Help 3.3mb)
- Habitat Regulations Assessment (Appropriate Assessment) Detailed Assessment of
  the LDF Development Management and Delivery DPD August 2012 (V3) (PDF Help 1mb)
- Infrastructure Delivery Plan August 2012 (V2) (PDF Help 386kb)
- Development Plan Monitoring Framework August 2012 (V1) (PDF Help 411kb)
- Schedule of Minor Modifications (V8) (PDF Help 626kb)

Procedural Meeting - Thursday 12 July 2012 2pm, the Meeting Room, Parke

A procedural meeting was held in public on 12 July 2012 in order to consider matters raised by the Inspector in respect of the soundness of the Plan. The meeting concluded that the Authority will produce a range of supplementary evidence in support of the submitted DPD. Upon receipt of the information, the Inspector will review its content and it is intended to proceed towards setting a range of matters and issues which will form the basis for subsequent hearing sessions. It is anticipated that the public hearings could be held later in 2012 (possibly late Autumn) and the Authority confirmed it remained of the view that final adoption of the DPD could be secured in Spring 2013.

Inspector's procedural letter (17 July 2012) (PDF Help 51kb)
Procedure Meeting Note (PDF Help 136kb)
Procedural Meeting Invitation Letter (PDF Help 72kb)
Procedural Meeting Agenda (PDF Help 28kb)
Annex 1 (PDF Help 60kb)
Authority's response in advance of Procedural Meeting (PDF Help 163kb) including additional documentation:

Correspondence with the Inspector May - June 2012

Inspector's Procedural letter (15 June 2012) (PDF Help 208kb)
Authority's response to procedural letter (28 May 2012) (PDF Help 156kb)
Paper: SA/SEA, HRA and procedural matters (PDF Help 312kb)
Authority's response (1 June 2012) (PDF Help 158kb)
Topic Paper: Duty to Cooperate (June 2012) (PDF Help 140kb)
Inspector's Procedural Letter (28 May 2012) (PDF Help 146kb)
Authority's response to the procedural letter (23 May 2012) (PDF Help 188kb)
Authority's response regarding sites at Yelverton and Buckfastleigh (16 May 2012) (PDF Help 171kb)
Inspector's Procedural letter (16 May 2012) (PDF Help 126kb)

For information on the independent examination of the development plan document, please contact, DMD Programme Officer, Dartmoor National Park Authority, Parke, Bovey Tracey, NEWTON ABBOT, Devon, TQ13 9JQ

E-mail: programmeofficer@dartmoor.gov.uk
Tel: 01626 831042
Fax: 01626 834684

Page last updated: 25 Apr 2013