A draft Local Plan for Uttlesford was sent in December to the Secretary of State for Housing for her consideration.
The Secretary of State will now appoint an Planning Inspector to review and assess the draft Local Plan. They will consider whether the plan has met the legal requirements and tests of ‘soundness’ – to be judged against national policy, including how the council has consulted, engaged and worked with neighbouring authorities and statutory bodies.
Once appointed, the Planning Inspector will set out the next steps and timetable to be followed in the examination process.
Uttlesford District Council will published the inspector’s decision when known.
Speculative projects
Each local planning authority across the UK must have a Local Plan detailing where future housing and development should be built in the area the authority is responsible for.
Uttlesford District Council has not had an approved Local Plan in place since 2005. It’s own planning department has been in “special measures” since February 2022 with the authority being judged to have failed to meet national targets for house building provision.
Without a Local Plan places like Stansted Mountfitchet have been vulnerable to speculative plans by housing developments, hoping to exploit Uttlesford failure to get a Local Plan in place.
Having an approved Local Plan will provide a degree of assurance to local authorities and communities about where housing projects will be sited.
Find out more
More information about the local plan submission documents can be found on the district council’s website: www.uttlesford.gov.uk/local-plan-examination