Recommendation 6

We sympathise with the Government’s wish to enhance the importance of Local Plans in determining where development should take place. But achieving public acceptance of any increased importance for Local Plans requires them have credibility as an accurate reflection of public views in an area. Therefore, we were concerned by evidence that the second stage of public involvement, at the end of the Local Plan process, would happen simultaneously with the Plan being submitted to the Secretary of State. The Government should clarify how it will promote greater involvement by the public in Local Plans. The public should be consulted about a draft version of the Local Plan before, not concurrently with, its submission to the Secretary of State. This would enable their views to be more effective in influencing the final version of the plan. The Government should also be very cautious about watering down the ‘right to be heard’.