Regulation 19 -this technical term refers to the Town and Country Planning Act (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 and Regulation 19 is the second stage of the consultation process when forming a Local Plan and it represents the proposed policies for an area.
This phase of the consultation process provides local communities, businesses and other interested stakeholders with the opportunity to comment on the policy content of a draft Local Plan, within a specific remit. The remit for public consultation relates to the ‘Tests of Soundness’ and also includes legal compliance, as set out in National Planning Policy Framework.
What happens after the Regulation 19 stage?
Once Regulation 19 is complete, an updated draft Local Plan is then submitted to the Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government. They will then appoint an independent Planning Inspector to undertake a ‘public examination’ of the draft Local Plan and is likely to make recommendations to further improve it.
During the examination process, the Secretary of State and the independent Planning Inspector will use the National Planning Policy Framework and comments submitted during the Regulation 19 consultation to determine whether a Local Plan is sound and legally compliant.
