Latest News

View correspondence and updates relating to the Examination process here. This page will be updated throughout the examination with key information. 

23rd March 2022

Ipswich Borough Council adopted the Ipswich Local Plan Review 2018-2036 on 23 March 2022. This adoption was in accordance with Section 23 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and Regulations 17 and 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended). For more details, please visit the Adopted Ipswich Local Plan Review 2018-2036 page.

17th February 2022

The Inspectors’ Report into the Ipswich Local Plan Review 2018-2036 was received on 17 February 2022. The Inspectors confirmed that the Duty to Cooperate has been met and that, with the recommended Main Modifications, the Ipswich Local Plan Review 2018-2036 is ‘sound’. For more details, visit the visit the Ipswich Local Plan Review 2018-2036 Publication of the Inspectors Report page.

5th November 2021

Consultation on the Proposed Main Modifications to the Ipswich Local Plan Review 2018-2036 closed on 23 September 2021. The representations have been forwarded to the Inspectors for their consideration. The next stage in the examination will be for the Inspectors to submit their final report and recommendations on the plan to the Council. The website will be updated when this has taken place.     

29th July 2021

An 8-week public consultation on the Proposed Main Modifications will run from 29 July 2021 to 23 September 2021. For more information, download the Notice of Consultation (PDF)

Detailed consultation documents and instructions on how to make representations are available on the Main Modifications consultation page.

10th March 2021

The Inspectors have written to the Council outlining the next steps for the Examination. You can read their letter by downloading the PDF document from the link below:

The next step in the examination is for the Council to publish the proposed Main Modifications for a six-week period of public consultation. This will not take place until after the local elections to be held on 6 May 2021.

1st March 2021

The Council has submitted a revised schedule on the deliverability of sites comprising the first 5 years’ supply of housing land, updated evidence on gypsy and traveller accommodation, and a consolidated set of suggested main modifications, as requested by the Inspectors at the close of the Hearing. The Inspectors will now be writing to the Council in March 2021 to set out the next steps for the examination.

16th December 2020

The Examination Hearing closed on 16 December 2020. Recordings of the Hearing sessions are available on the Council’s YouTube channels via the links on the Examination page.

The Inspectors advised that they will write to the Council to set out the next steps for the Examination.

7th December 2020

The Inspectors have issued an updated Hearing Programme with the times for each session and the names of participants who have requested to be heard. 

The Inspectors have also issued the Agenda for the Ipswich Borough Council Local Plan Review 2018-2036 Examination Hearing Day 7 - Session 3 (Reference J17.1) and updated the Agenda for Day 5 - Session 3 (Reference J13). The documents are available via the Core Document Library and the links below.

3rd December 2020

The Inspectors have reviewed the evidence, representations and hearing position statements in respect of the policies and allocations in the ILPR for Employment, Retail and Town Centre uses and development and are satisfied that their remaining questions on Matters 4 and 5 in the MIQs can be dealt with through main modifications, and do not require further discussion at the Hearing. The Inspectors also consider that a number of questions related to employment, open space and leisure allocations under Matter 6 can be dealt with in this way. Accordingly, the Inspectors have invited the Council to prepare main modifications for consideration to address the matters of soundness. The letter from the Inspectors to the Council is available via the Core Document Library (Reference I43 (PDF)). 

1st December 2020

The Inspectors have issued the Agendas for the Ipswich Borough Council Local Plan Review 2018-2036 Examination Hearing Days 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The Inspectors have also issued an updated Draft Final Hearing Programme (PDF). The documents are available via the Core Document Library (Reference J13 to J18).  

30th November 2020

The Inspectors have issued the Agendas for Day 7, Session 1, and an updated Draft Final Hearing Programme. Documents are available via the Day 7, Session 1 (PDF) and Draft Final Hearing Programme (PDF) links.

23rd November 2020

The hearing sessions will be live streamed on our YouTube channel for non-participants and the public to watch live. The sessions will also be recorded and published on YouTube within 24 hours for anyone to view. 

The Inspectors have issued the Agendas for the Ipswich Borough Council Local Plan Review 2018-2036 Examination Hearing Day 2 and 3. The documents are available via the Core Document Library (Reference J10, J11 and J12).  

19th November 2020

The Inspectors have issued the Agendas for the Ipswich Borough Council Local Plan Review 2018-2036 Examination Hearing Day 1, Session 01 (PDF) and Sessions 2 and 3 (PDF). The Examination Hearing will formally begin on the 24th November 2020 at 09.30am. The documents are available via the embedded links and Core Document Library (Reference J8 and J9).  

12th November 2020

Hearing Position Statements have been submitted by the Council and by those participating in the Hearing, in response to the Inspector’s MIQs, ahead of the opening of the Hearing on 24 November 2020.  The Inspectors have issued a draft final Hearing Programme with the times for each session and the names of participants who have requested to be heard. The documents are available via the embedded links.   

12th October 2020

The Ipswich Borough Council Local Plan Review 2018-2036 Examination Hearing will formally begin on the 24th November 2020 at 09.30am. For more details, download the Notice of Commencement of Examination Hearing (Regulation 24) 12th October 2020 (PDF).

The hearing will proceed virtually by means of Microsoft Teams thus overcoming the restrictions of the Covid-19 epidemic. The virtual hearing will be as similar as possible to a physical hearing in the way it is run and will be conducted in a fair, open and impartial manner.

The Inspectors have issued the Outline Programme for the Hearing, their Matters Issues and Questions (MIQs) (PDF)MIQs Addendum (PDF) and an Examination Guidance Note (PDF).

For those wishing to respond to the MIQs, all statements should be received by the Programme Officer by Tuesday 10th November 2020.

18th September 2020

The Council have responded to Inspectors Initial Questions (17th August 2020). 

17th August 2020

The Inspectors issued their first letter to the Council.  

29th June 2020

Karen Baker and Mike Hayden have been appointed as Inspectors for the Ipswich Borough Council Local Plan Review. 

10th June 2020

Ipswich Borough Council submitted the Ipswich Local Plan Review 2018-2036 to the Secretary of State for examination.