THE PUBLIC hearings aimed at scrutinising the planning document detailing where thousands of new homes will be built across South Worcestershire between now and 2041 will get under way in March.
Government-appointed inspectors will test whether the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (SWDPR) is legally compliant and meets national planning policy – known as being ‘found sound’ – during the hearing sessions at Worcester Guildhall.
The examination will take place over three weeks, from Tuesday, March 4, to Thursday, March 27. Inspectors will explore a different theme each day, ranging from economic growth policies to the different housing sites identified in the plan. Further sessions will be held at the Civic Centre in Pershore on April 29 and 30 to explore issues, including climate change and transport.
The public is welcome to attend the hearings but will only be allowed to speak if they indicated they wanted to make a representation during the Regulation 19 consultation held in November 2022.
They will also need to be invited by the inspector. Those with the option to speak at the hearings will be contacted shortly with more information.
Once the hearings have finished, if the inspector agrees the plan is ‘found sound’, then changes will likely be needed to the document – known as major modifications. A consultation on these changes is pencilled in for the summer 2025 All three South Worcestershire councils will then be formally asked to adopt the plan by the end of the year or early 2026.
Coun Paul Middlebrough, Chair of the SWDPR Joint Advisory Panel, said: “Getting the Plan to the examination stage is a significant achievement against a challenging backdrop.
“My thanks to all the officers at Wychavon, Malvern Hills, and Worcester City councils for their professionalism and hard work, as well as the thousands of people who have submitted comments during the various consultations we have held in preparation for this plan.
“This is an important step to formally adopting the plan, giving us more control over how South Worcestershire develops in the coming years.”
Visit localplanservices.co.uk/swdpreview for the dates and times of the public examination hearings and more information.
