Regulation 18: Eden Local Plan Partial Review public consultation FAQs

What is the Partial Review about?

Eden declared a climate and biodiversity crisis in 2019. The Council aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. This is an ambitious but necessary target in order to tackle climate change and help protect biodiversity. To make a difference it is important to take action on many fronts. The Partial Review is one action that we decided to undertake to start making a difference.

Planning is an important part of the solution to start shaping the future Eden that our children and grandchildren can thrive in – living and working. The Partial Review will introduce a small number of key policies to influence the way that places in Eden grow and change.

The policies in the adopted Eden Local Plan 2014 to 2032 (ELP) do not do enough to protect against climate change and ensure new development is of high quality design. The Partial Review will replace parts of the current ELP aimed at addressing climate change and ensuring high quality design in all new development.

Why is the Council no longer proceeding with a full review of the Local Plan?

A decision was made in 2019 to carry out a full review of the current Eden Local Plan 2014 - 2032 but was amended in April 2021 to prioritise a partial review of the Local Plan instead. A partial review of the Eden Local Plan will also ensure no work is wasted in view of emerging changes to national planning legislation, as well as possible Local Government re-organisation in Cumbria.

We are still progressing with the full review and commissioning/preparing evidence base documents to support this (such as the Strategic Housing and Economic Needs Assessment and a Settlement Study) but not quite at the same pace as initially anticipated.

Find out about when we will adopt the Local Plan Partial Review for details of the timetable for the preparation of both the partial review and full review.

Where can I find information about the consultation?

Find out more about the Eden Local Plan Partial Review for all details on the consultation.

How long are you consulting for?

The public consultation commenced on Friday 25 June 2021 and closed on Monday 9 August 2021. We requested that submitted comments on the consultation questions were through the completion of a brief questionnaire on Cumbria Citizenspace or by the VideoAsk web app, which works on Android and iPhone and allows you to record a video of your answers to our consultation questions.

Will my opinion matter?

Yes! The opinion of residents, businesses and organisations will help to inform how we draft our policies on climate change and design. We are keen to hear from as many people as possible. We are at the start of the process and no decisions have been made.

What will you do with my feedback?

We will never ignore your feedback, whether or not we agree with it.

We will carefully read and consider all responses received and prepare a Consultation Response Report which will be published on our Local Plan Partial Review web page following the consultation. Comments received will also be published after redacting personal information.

Council members will take into account the comments received together with other evidence in deciding what our policies on climate change and design should seek to prioritise.

What are the next steps for the Partial Review?

At the end of the consultation period the Council will begin the process of considering the responses and preparing a Consultation Response which will be published. Following this, new policies relating to climate change and design will be drafted.

Will I get the opportunity to comment on the new policies once they have been drafted?

Yes. Once the policies on climate change and design have been drafted, we will arrange a further public consultation (Regulation 19) on the publication version of the Local Plan Partial Review. We anticipate this taking place in early/Spring 2022 before it is submitted to the Government who will arrange an independent public hearing to consider whether the Partial Review meets national policy and other legal and procedural requirements.

When will the Council adopt the Local Plan Partial Review?

The Local Development Scheme (PDF 491Kb / 20 pages) provides information about the timescales for preparing the Local Plan Partial Review. The Council is confident that it has set a challenging yet achievable timetable. It is hoped that the Local Plan Partial Review can be adopted in Spring 2023, at which point it will then be used in the determination of planning applications. It should be noted that after submission, the examination timetable is determined by the appointed Planning Inspector.

Who do I contact with questions about the consultation?

Please email the Planning Policy team with your question using the email address below. By emailing it enables us to queue your enquiry appropriately so we can consider and respond most effectively. If you do need to talk to us urgently please telephone using the number below. However, please bear in mind that we are likely to be extremely busy during the consultation period and will contact you as soon as we are able..

How can I keep up-to-date?

Register online for Planning policy consultations if you would like to know about forthcoming consultations on the Local Plan Review or other future planning policy consultations.