Please note we are in the process of transferring to a new consultation portal system and the consultation responses on this consultation may be temporarily unavailable to view whilst we make this transition.

This consultation has now closed and we can no longer accept comments.

What was the Main Changes Consultation?

Ashford Borough Council are preparing a new Local Plan to 2030. It is being prepared with the aim of ensuring that future development within Ashford is well planned and managed effectively whilst having a positive impact on local communities, the economy and the environment. The new Local Plan will provide a consistent approach to planning into the future across the whole of the borough. Once adopted, the Local Plan 2030 will form the statutory development plan. A draft of the Plan was formally published and made available for consultation during the summer of 2016.

Ashford Borough Council then consulted upon a series of Proposed 'Main Changes' to that Publication Draft of the Local Plan. These changes are intended to:

• resolve issues that were raised during public consultation on the previous draft of the Plan;
• meet the increased housing need requirements identified through an update of national population projections;
• ensure that the Plan is up to date; and
• make sure that it meets the requirements of current national planning policy and guidance.

It was considered appropriate to address these issues before the Local Plan 2030 is submitted to the Secretary of State to be examined by an Independent Planning Inspector.

Viewing comments made

The representations received during the ‘Main Changes’ consultation and are currently being assessed and will be formally responded to by the Council. A decision will then be taken by ABC on whether any further changes are required to the draft plan.

All comments are now available to view. However, comments cannot be made on these representations as there is no open consultation and these cannot be recorded.

Guidance notes to assist in locating and viewing comments can be viewed here: Guidance notes for locating and viewing representations

What are 'Omission Sites'?

Please note that where a site is being promoted by an agent or landowner for development that has not been included in the Local Plan or Main Changes update by ABC, these sites are known as 'Omission Sites'. These site proposals have been grouped into a new section at the end of the consultation to enable greater transparency and assist the council to process them effectively. The Council will respond to these site representations in due course. Please note that these sites are NOT being promoted by ABC for inclusion in the Local Plan and they are not open for public consultation.

Next stages: Submission and Examination

The next stage in the process for ABC is to create a combined final draft of the Local Plan and formally submit this to the Secretary of State and Planning Inspectorate, which will commence the Examination in Public (EIP) process. This 'submission stage', is expected in December 2017, but is dependent on the outcome of the assessment of representations made on this consultation.

At an Examination in Public, an Inspector will assess the final Local Plan 2030, the evidence supporting it and comments received during both the consultations, to judge whether it is ‘sound‘ in relation to the National Planning Policy Framework and whether it meets the legal requirements set out in legislation.

If you made comments during either of the public consultations you will be kept informed of the progress of the Local Plan and the Examination stages.