The planning inspector previously said it was “unlikely” more hearing dates would be needed but now says new information from the council has “introduced issues”

The marathon Enfield Local Plan public examination looks set to drag on further after the planning inspector overseeing the process announced two new hearing dates.

After 27 separate hearing dates held throughout last year, two additional examination sessions are now scheduled for Wednesday, 18th March and Thursday, 19th March, to consider new information provided by Enfield Council.

The council recently submitted new evidence to the government-appointed inspector, Steven Lee, including its latest housing trajectory data, which outlines how quickly the civic centre believe new homes can be built across the borough; a new playing pitch strategy; and views on how the government’s new towns announcement impacts on the Local Plan process.

Writing earlier this month to the civic centre, planning inspector Steven Lee said that “in a small number of instances, the council’s submissions have introduced issues that have either not previously been discussed or raise matters where […] it would be helpful to have further discussion”.

The latest hearings are due to be held remotely rather than at the civic centre.

Back in November, when the last of the 27 hearings was held, Lee suggested that further public hearings would be “unlikely”.

The council’s Local Plan process, through which it is required to set out how government-set housing targets will be met over the next two decades, has now been ongoing for nearly eight years, having begun in 2018.

For more information on the latest Local Plan hearings:
Visit enfield.gov.uk/services/planning/new-enfield-local-plan

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