A Government Planning Inspector will independently examine the joint draft Local Plan and Community Infrastructure Levy for West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland.
Hearings will take place between 25 November and 12 December 2014, where the Inspector will hold a round table discussion and ask the councils questions about the plan.
The councils submitted the plan to the Inspector in June 2013 and a meeting was held in January 2014 to discuss some of the Inspector’s initial comments and concerns.
Following this meeting, both councils agreed to suspend the examination in March 2014 for up to six months to address the issues raised by the Planning Inspector. During this time, the councils prepared and consulted on further changes to the plan which have been informed by new evidence on housing matters.
The hearings will take place in Committee Rooms A and B, West Dorset District Council Offices, South Walks Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1UZ.
The sitting times are Tuesday to Thursday from 10am-1pm and from 2pm-5pm, and on Friday 10am-1pm.
Although open to the public, people cannot participate in discussions unless specifically invited to do so by the Inspector.
For more information about the Local Plan and details on the programme for the hearings visit www.dorsetforyou.com/localplanexamination/west/weymouth
Cllr Robert Gould, Leader of West Dorset District Council, said: “We have been working hard to address the issues the Planning Inspector raised and welcome the hearing sessions so we can discuss the changes we have made with the Inspector and other participants and deal with any outstanding matters.”
Cllr Ian Roebuck, Weymouth & Portland brief holder for Environment and Sustainability, said: “The examination stage is an important milestone in the plan preparation process and we are confident that we now have a robust plan to guide development in the plan area for the years ahead.”
The draft Local Plan sets out a long term planning strategy to meet future housing, employment and leisure needs.
It also looks at how climate change can be tackled, the environment protected and how future developments can be made more sustainable.
It covers important issues such as where housing could be built, how the economy can be boosted and what infrastructure may be needed.
After the hearings the inspector will take on board the issues discussed before making a decision on the soundness of the plan before it can be adopted.
