Latest news about the Local Plan Examination

The Barking and Dagenham 2037 Local Plan was adopted at Council Assembly on the 18th September 2024. To view the final Plan documents, please visit https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/planning-building-control-and-local-land-charges/planning-guidance-and-policies/development-plan.

The Council received the Inspectors’ Report for the Barking and Dagenham 2037 Local Plan on 15 August 2024. This document concludes the Local Plan examination process. The Inspector found the policies ‘sound’ subject to the inclusion of the ‘Main Modifications’ attached to their report.

The Inspectors’ report and accompanying Main Modifications are available below:

• Inspectors’ Report 15 August 2024 (PDF, 250.25 KB)
• Inspectors’ Main Modifications (PDF, 48.65 KB)

The Local Plan will now progress to Assembly to seek approval for adoption.

To find out more please check out the Local Plan webpage under 'What's happening now?' https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/planning-building-control-and-local-land-charges/planning-guidance-and-policies/local-plan

The Council recently received the Inspectors' Post-Hearings letter setting out next steps following the main examination hearings that took place in October/November last year. Please see document EX191 on the Examination Website.

Following the Local Plan Main Hearings in October/November 2023, a number of notes have been produced to clarify some of the questions raised by the Inspectors. This includes notes on Housing Supply, Gypsy and Travellers, Infrastructure Delivery, Town Centres and Employment. These are now available in the examination library (EX185-EX189). Additionally, the Local Development Scheme has been updated and is also available in the examination library (EX184).

Hearing Statements in response to the Matters, Issues and Questions posed by our Local Plan Inspectors are now available to view in our examination library. (See Stage 2 Agendas and Hearing Statements section).

Our Local Plan Examination Hearings' Programme has been updated. Please see document EX122 in the examination library for the latest version if you are interested in attending.

07 September 2023

The Council have recently made available within our Examination Library (https://yourcall.befirst.london/examination-library) a number of documents including:

• new or updated evidence documents linked to actions that came out of the preliminary hearings (within the ‘Post-Submission Evidence Documents’ section);
• the representations received as part of the Initial Main Modifications consultation undertaken between Thursday 22nd June 2023 and Monday 7th August 2023 (within the ‘Representations made Initial Main Modification Consultation’ section)
• the most recent versions of the modifications proposed by the Council and associated documents including a consultation summary for the Initial Main Modifications consultation (within the ‘Council’s Proposed Main Modifications’ section)

As set out on the Examination Library webpage, the Stage 2 Hearings for the examination of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Draft Local Plan 2019 - 2037 will commence Tuesday 31st October 2023. The associated Stage 2 Hearings documents, including a provisional hearing programme and the Inspectors’ ‘Matters, Issues and Questions’ are also available to view in our examination library (EX110-112).

Following submission of the draft Local Plan to the Secretary of State on 21 December 2021, we have undertaken preliminary examination hearings with the Planning Inspectors. These took place in July 2022 and highlighted a number of matters than need to be addressed within the draft Local Plan (Documents C1 and C2 on the examination website: https://yourcall.befirst.london/submission-documents) and between the draft Local Plan and the Policies Map (Document C3: Proposals Map, also available on the examination website) before the Local Plan can progress to the main examination hearings. These matters were also highlighted in the Inspector’s Next Steps Letter, which paused the examination and requested the Council undertake further work associated with the Green Belt and Gypsy and Travellers, and to consult on a number of changes to the submission Local Plan to rectify Drafting Errors identified in the submission Local Plan and on the submission Policies Map. The Inspectors Stage One Hearings Next Steps Letter can be viewed here.

Please note, this consultation is limited to the changes being proposed within the documents set out below. Please review our Consultation Cover Note for more details on the scope of the consultation and for next steps. For the avoidance of doubt, all representations made during the Reg 19 (1) and Reg 19 (2) consultations will be considered by the Inspectors, we do not require comments made previously to be repeated.

The consultation will run for 6 weeks between Thursday 22nd June 2023 and Monday 7th August 2023 We welcome your feedback on the modifications set out in the following two documents:

1. Proposed Initial Main Modifications to the Barking and Dagenham Submission Local Plan (submission documents C1: ‘Regulation 19(2) Draft Local Plan 2021’, and C2: ‘Draft Local Plan Appendix 2: Proposed Site Allocations 2021’) – This document sets out the Proposed Initial Main Modifications for the Regulation 19 (2) Draft Local Plan (Document C1) and Draft Local Plan Appendix 2: Proposed Site Allocations (Document C2) intended to rectify the mapping discrepancies within the submission Local Plan and between the submission Local Plan and the submission Policies Map which may have caused confusion during the Regulation 19 (2) consultation.
2. The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Submission Local Plan (submission documents C1: Regulation 19(2) Draft Local Plan 2021, and C2: Draft Local Plan Appendix 2: Proposed Site Allocations 2021) Proposed Amendments to the Submission Policies Map (C3) – This document set out the Proposed Submission Policies Map Modifications intended to rectify the mapping discrepancies between the submission Local Plan and submission Policies Map which may have caused confusion during the Regulation 19 (2) consultation.

To provide further clarification on the above, clean versions of the documents below are available for review. These incorporate the proposed modifications set out in the above, and are for illustrative purposes only. They are intended to assist in the reading of the two documents being consulted on (bullet points 1 and 2 above).

• For illustrative purposes only, the submission Local Plan Document C1 (Regulation 19(2) Local Plan) and a clean version of Local Plan Document C2 (Draft Local Plan Appendix 2: Proposed Site Allocations) incorporating the proposed modifications
• For illustrative purposes only, an updated version of the submission Policies Map to show the changes put forward in the Proposed Submission Policies Map Modifications document (‘The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Submission Local Plan (submission documents C1: Regulation 19(2) Draft Local Plan 2021, and C2: Draft Local Plan Appendix 2: Proposed Site Allocations 2021) Proposed Amendments to the Submission Policies Map (C3)’).

Accompanying Evidence Documents Available for Review

The following key evidence base documents that were not available at the time of the Regulation 19 (2) Local Plan but underpin some of the proposed changes set out as part of this consultation:

• Gypsy and Traveller Site Selection Paper [Updated June 2023]
• Annex A: Assessment of Sites following Regulation 18 (2)
• Annex B: Assessment of Sites with Planning Permission
• Annex C: Assessment of Additional Sites
• Gypsy and Traveller Sites Cabinet Paper [May 2023] – (Further information for Cabinet Meeting available here: Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday, 23 May 2023, 7:00 pm | LBBD)
• Gypsy and Traveller Sites Cabinet Paper Supplementary [May 2023]
• Cabinet Minutes [May 2023] - Printed Draft Minutes
• Exceptional Circumstances Topic Paper [Updated June 2023]
• LBBD Green Belt Final Report April 2023
• LBBD Green Belt Final Report Annex 2023
• Green Belt Boundary Assessment Report April 2023
• Green Belt Boundary Assessment Annex April 2023

Additional Modifications

A running list of the additional modifications proposed to be made to the draft Local Plan is also available for review. These types of modifications encompass minor elements such as typos and factual updates. This document will continue to be reviewed as we progress through the examination. The first version of the document is available below:

Additional Modifications to the Barking and Dagenham Submission Local Plan (submission documents C1: Regulation 19(2) Draft Local Plan 2021, and C2: Draft Local Plan Appendix 2: Proposed Site Allocations 2021)

How can I submit a response?

You can submit response using our representation form: Representation Form.

You can submit responses via email to Planningpolicy@befirst.london.

Hard copies of the documents being consulted on, alongside any new evidence relevant to these changes, is also available in hard copy at Barking Town Hall and Dagenham Library. Postal submissions should be made to:

Planning Policy Team

Be First

5th Floor, MAKE IT Barking

15 Linton Road

London

IG11 8HE

If you are submitting a response via email or post and would like to be heard at the main hearings, please indicate this within the email/letter and/or your response. Please note, the final decision on who may be heard at the examination hearings is down to the discretion of the Inspectors.

Please also note, responses to this consultation will be published online. Names of those submitting representations will be shown, however other personal details such as email addresses or home addresses will be redacted.

Other documents:

Please see below for the previously available Sustainability Appraisal, Consultation Summary and Statement of Fact:

Regulation 19 (2) Sustainability Appraisal

Regulation 19 (2) Sustainability Appraisal Non-Technical Summary

Regulation 19 (2) Consultation Statement and Summary Report

Statement of Fact

The Council published a Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (September 2020), which shows how many new pitches need to be provided up to 2037. To help meet the accommodation needs of the borough's Gypsy and Traveller communities the Council is looking to allocate sites through the review of its Local Plan.

As part of this we are now asking landowners to put forward land that they think is suitable for this use. Any sites which are submitted will be assessed for their suitability and help the Council to make decisions over where to allocate sites to meet their identified need for traveller pitches.

Sites can also be submitted by completing and returning the Site Submission Form (DOC, 38KB) and sending them to email PlanningPolicy@Befirst.London or via letter to the address below:

Be First
9th floor, Maritime House
1 Linton Rd,
Barking
IG11 8HG

You will also need to submit a map showing where the site is and what land it includes.

You must return the completed form by Monday 17 April 2023. After this date, we will assess all the sites received in order to decide which to take forward.