C AMBRIDGE LOCAL PLAN 2014 PROPOSED SUBMISSION Frequently Asked

c ambridge local plan 2014: proposed submission frequently asked questions and guidance on how to respond what is the local plan? the

C AMBRIDGE LOCAL PLAN 2014: PROPOSED SUBMISSION
Frequently Asked Questions and Guidance on How to Respond
What is the Local Plan?
The Cambridge Local Plan sets out where future development will take
place and identifies land for new housing, community facilities, shops
and employment. It also identifies land to be protected from
development such as the Green Belt and open space. It is the key
document that will be used to determine planning applications in the
City.
What is the Cambridge Local Plan 2014: Proposed Submission
Consultation?
The Cambridge Local Plan 2014: Proposed Submission Consultation runs
from 9am on 19 July 2013 to 5pm on 30 September 2013 and comprises the
following documents:
*
Cambridge Local Plan 2014: Proposed Submission. This is the draft
Local Plan for Cambridge.
*
Cambridge Local Plan 2014: Policies Map. This is a map which shows
sites that have been allocated for residential, employment,
university and mixed uses. It also shows designations that are
mentioned in the Plan such as open spaces, district, local and
neighbourhood centres, areas of major change and opportunity
areas.
*
Cambridge Local Plan 2014: Sustainability Appraisal. This report
assesses the effects that the draft plan (Cambridge Local Plan
2014: Proposed Submission) has on issues relating to
sustainability. It is a legal requirement.
Why are we consulting?
As part of preparing the new Local Plan, the National Planning Policy
Framework requires local planning authorities to:
*
Indicate broad locations for strategic development on a key
diagram and land-use designations on a policies map;
*
Allocate sites to promote development and flexible use of land,
bringing forward new land where necessary, and provide detail on
form, scale, access and quantum of development where appropriate;
*
Identify areas where it may be necessary to limit freedom to
change the use of buildings, and support such restrictions with a
clear explanation; and
*
Identify land where development would be inappropriate, for
instance because of its environmental or historic significance.
How can I have my say on the Cambridge Local Plan consultation?
You can respond to our consultation in a number of ways. We have
provided further information for you below. The consultation runs
from:
9am on 19 July 2013 to 5pm on 30 September 2013.
Using our online consultation system
The online consultation system is our preferred means of receiving
comments as it ensures that your comments are summarised and recorded
accurately and are processed quickly. We would especially encourage
all statutory consultees, agents and landowners to use the online
consultation system. Click here (or go to page 6 of this document) to
read instructions on how to use the online consultation system.
You can access the online consultation system by going to this
address:
http://cambridge.jdi-consult.net/ldf/
Responding in writing
If you cannot reply to the consultation using the online consultation
system, it would be helpful if you could fill in our response form.
This makes sure that we have all the correct information to register
and process your views and to keep you informed of progress on the
Local Plan Review.
Forms may be:
*
Filled in electronically and emailed to us at
[email protected]
*
Downloaded from our website (https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/draft-local-plan-2014),
filled in by hand and posted to us at Draft Local Plan
Consultation, Planning Policy, Cambridge City Council, PO Box 700,
Cambridge, CB1 0JH.
*
Or obtained by contacting the Council on 01223 457000 and asking
to speak to someone in the Planning Policy team or by visiting the
Customer Service Centre at Mandela House, 4 Regent Street,
Cambridge CB2 1BY (open from the following times: Monday - 8am to
5.15pm, Tuesday - 9am to 5.15pm, Wednesday - 9am to 6pm, Thursday
- 9am to 5.15pm, Friday - 9am to 5.15pm)
Please fill in a separate form for each comment that you make.
For more detailed information on how to complete the form, click here
or go to page 9 of this document.
Data Protection
The information collected will be processed in accordance with the
Data Protection Act 1998. Information from the forms will be stored on
a computer database used solely in connection with the Local Plan
Review. Representations will be available to view on the Council’s
website, although address and contact details will not be included.
However, as copies of representations must be made available for
public inspection, they cannot be treated as confidential and will be
available for inspection in full.
WHEN CAN I COMMENT?
Representations on the consultation documents must be submitted during
the ten-week period between:
9am on 19 July 2013 to 5pm on 30 September 2013.
Comments received after this deadline will not be accepted.
Sending emails or replying by using the online consultation system may
be difficult on the last day of the consultation as electronic
services may get very busy. Please try to reply before the last day to
guarantee that your reply gets to us in good time.
Legal Requirements and Test of Soundness
To meet the legal requirements both the paper representation form and
the online consultation system will ask you a series of questions.
These questions are a requirement of the National Planning Policy
Framework. We are asking you to assess the policy or paragraph that
you are responding to by asking you whether you think that the policy
or paragraph is:
*
Legal – complies with the law
*
Positively prepared - the plan should be prepared based on a
strategy which seeks to meet objectively assessed development and
infrastructure requirements, including unmet requirements from
neighbouring authorities, where it is reasonable to do so, and
consistent with achieving sustainable development;
*
Justified - the plan should be the most appropriate strategy, when
considered against the reasonable alternatives, based on
proportionate evidence;
*
Effective - the plan should be deliverable over its period and
based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic
priorities;
*
Consistent with National Policy - the plan should enable the
delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the
policies in the National Planning Policy Framework.
On the paper representation form, these questions are covered by
questions 4 to 6. On the online system, these questions will appear if
you object to a policy or paragraph.
Verbally expressing your views to an Independent Inspector
When objecting to the consultation, you will be asked if you wish to
verbally express your views to an independent inspector at the
examination into the plan.
On the paper representation form, this is question 7.
On the online consultation system, this question will appear at the
bottom of your response form if you object to a policy or paragraph.
After the consultation has ended the Local Plan will be submitted to
an independent examiner, who will assess the plan to say whether they
believe that it is suitable to be adopted. Part of this process
involves an examination in public, which consists of a number of
hearing sessions which discuss matters relating to the legality and
soundness of the plan. If you wish to verbally express your views to
the independent inspector, this is the forum in which you would speak.
Further information on this process can be found by visiting:
http://www.pas.gov.uk/pas/aio/25131
What will happen to my representation?
After the end of the consultation period you will be sent an
acknowledgement stating your personal identification number and the
reference numbers corresponding to your representation(s). These
reference numbers must be given on any future correspondence and/or
when telephoning the Council. Only valid representations will be
acknowledged.
What happens next?
Once the consultation period has finished, we will analyse and
consider all the responses that we receive. We then intend to submit
the Local Plan to the Secretary of State for examination, together
with all the responses. To find out when this will happen, visit the
Local Plan review page or visit our blog:
cambridgelocalplan.wordpress.com.
Contacting us
=============
We are here to help. If you have any queries, please contact us at:
Draft Local Plan Consultation
Planning Policy
Cambridge City Council
PO Box 700
Cambridge
CB1 0JH
Tel: 01223 457000
Website: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/draft-local-plan-2014
Email: [email protected]
Frame1
Are there any other relevant consultations taking place?
There are two other consultations that are also taking place at the
same time as our consultation
*
Cambridgeshire County Council is consulting on their Transport
Strategy for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. The Strategy has
taken into account the Cambridge Local Plan 2014: Proposed
Submission in order to look at providing additional capacity and
dealing with the transport demands of new residents and workers as
a result of the draft Cambridge Local Plan. To find out more
visit: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/tscsc
*
South Cambridgeshire District Council is consulting on their draft
Local Plan. Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire
District Council have worked closely together to assess sites on
the Cambridge/South Cambridgeshire border. To find out more about
the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan visit:
http://www.scambs.gov.uk/content/south-cambridgeshire-local-plan
How to Use the Online Consultation System
1.
You can access the online consultation system by going to this
address:
http://cambridge.jdi-consult.net/ldf/
2.
If you wish to respond to the consultation and you have never used
the system before, you will need to register first. To do this,
click the “register now” link at the top of the webpage:

3.
You will then need to fill in some details about yourself. This
will allow the Council to keep you informed about the progress of
the Local Plan Review. You will also need to create a password,
which will allow you to return to the site and comment on other
consultations in the future.
4.
After you have registered, you will be taken back to the main
consultation page and your name will appear in the top left of the
screen. This means that you are logged into the system and are
able to make representations.
5.
To make comments on your chosen consultation document, scroll down
the page to the section called “Current documents open to public
participation” and select the document that you wish to respond
to.

6.
You can then browse through the document on screen and when you
wish to make a comment about a particular piece of text, click the
pencil icon next to the text:
7.
Then you put your comments in the box marked “Full Text of
Representation.” If the text of your representation is over 100
words, you will need to summarise it in the box below entitled
“Representation Summary.”
8.
If you object to a policy or paragraph the online consultation
system will ask you additional questions. See page 3 - Legal
Requirements and Test of Soundness and page 4 - Verbally
expressing your views to an Independent Inspector for further
details on this.
9.
When you have finished, remember to click the submit button at the
bottom of the page. You can then continue making more comments,
repeating steps 6 and 7.
10.
You will receive an email confirming that we have received your
comments.
11.
If you leave the site and come back to it and wish to make further
representations, you will not need to register again, but you will
need to log in. To log into the system, go to
http://cambridge.jdi-consult.net/ldf/. You will need to put your
email address and password into the boxes at the top of the page.
12.
If you have forgotten your password, you can request a temporary
replacement that will be emailed to you by clicking the “request
temporary replacement” link above the boxes where you log in.
13.
If you would like further information on this consultation, visit
https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/draft-local-plan-2014
USING THE PAPER REPRESENTATION FORM
Please ensure you provide all the contact details requested on the
form. This information will be used for correspondence. If we are
advised that an agent is acting on behalf of a client, the agent will
be the point of contact for all future correspondence.
You must make clear which document you are responding to and whether
you are supporting or objecting to the part of the document you have
identified
Questions 4 to 6 deal with the issue of Legality and Soundness. See
page 3 - Legal Requirements and Test of Soundness for more details on
the subject.
Question 7 asks whether you wish to verbally express your views to an
independent inspector see page 4 - Verbally expressing your views to
an Independent Inspector for further details on this.
Written Justification for Objection or Support – Question 8
If you support a policy: give any reasons that you would like to give
for that support.
If you object to a policy: please provide information to support your
reasons for objecting, as precisely as possible. Please continue on
separate A4 sheet(s) if necessary.
Summary Checklist for Completing the Response Form
The following is a checklist for all those completing the Response
Form.
CHECKLIST
Once your representations are complete, please check that you have
completed each form clearly and legibly using black ink, or by typing
your response, and:
*
Provided full and up to date contact details;
*
Included information about the section of the report to which you
are submitting your representation (for example paragraph number);
*
Made it clear whether you are supporting or objecting to the
section of the report (Question 4);
*
Included a ‘Written Justification’ for your representation
(Question 8);
*
Please ensure you have signed and dated the form and returned all
completed forms together to the address on this Guidance Note
before 5pm on 30 September 2013.
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