Timeline

Track the proposed timeline and progress of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan and future public consultations to avoid missing any key milestones in the plan preparation.

Issues and Options

November 2021

March 2022

The Minerals and Waste Planning Authority will consult stakeholders about the various issues and planning policy options that could define the Minerals and Waste Local Plan over the relevant 15-year plan-period. This follows initial evidence gathering and review of data and information about key issues. Stakeholders are invited to provide their views on the issues important to them in the context of minerals and waste management development in Surrey and any policy options they favour. Stakeholders are also able to provide their views about the Strategic Environmental Appraisal and Sustainability Assessment Scoping report which underpins the Issues and Options public consultation. This consultation is not concerned with identifying or allocating any land for any minerals and waste management development but does include a ‘call for sites'.

Preferred Options

June 2022

Upcoming

Having regard to all material representations made by stakeholders in respect of the Issues and Options public consultation and any nominations made in response to the ‘call for sites’, the Minerals and Waste Planning Authority will consult stakeholders about the preferred policy options to address the key issues identified relevant to future minerals and waste management development in Surrey. This public consultation will include draft planning policies and proposed sites or areas of land to be identified or otherwise allocated or safeguarded for future minerals and waste management development. Stakeholders are invited to provide their views on the proposed policies and site/land designations. The Preferred Options public consultation will be underpinned by a Strategic Environmental Appraisal and Sustainability Assessment which has taken account of any relevant material feedback received during the Issues and Options public consultation.

Pre-Submission Plan

Early 2024

Upcoming

Having taken account of responses received during the Preferred Options public consultation and the findings of the Strategic Environmental Appraisal and Sustainability Assessment, the Minerals and Waste Planning Authority will publish a draft Minerals and Waste Local Plan for public consultation before it is submitted to the Government for ‘examination’ by an independent Inspector appointed by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State. The Pre-Submission Plan public consultation will be underpinned by a Strategic Environmental Appraisal and Sustainability Assessment. Stakeholders will be invited to provide their views about the draft Minerals and Waste Local Plan and the Strategic Environmental Appraisal and Sustainability Assessment. The Minerals and Waste Planning Authority may decide to make changes to the draft plan following consideration of material representations received during the relevant consultation period and carry out a further public consultation exercise should any such changes be significant.

Submission Plan and Independent Examination

Early 2024

Mid 2024

At this stage the final draft Minerals and Waste Local Plan will be submitted to the Government. An independent Inspector holds an ‘examination in public’ to establish whether the draft plan is ‘sound’ having regard to the associated Strategic Environmental Appraisal and Sustainability Assessment and evidence. The examination exercise hears evidence from any stakeholder who wishes to make a submission on any of the key issues or questions highlighted by the Inspector. The Inspector considers all of the evidence and representations made at each stage of the plan-making process. The Inspector can recommend adoption where it is resolved that the draft plan satisfies legal requirements and is ‘sound’.

Inspectors Report and Adoption

Late 2024

End 2024

Surrey County Council will only be able to adopt the Minerals and Waste Local Plan if the Inspector has recommended it for adoption. In a scenario where the Inspector may find the draft plan not ‘sound’ the Minerals and Waste Planning Authority may ask the Inspector to make recommendations for modifications to the draft plan so as to make it ‘sound’ and suitable for adoption. Where such a request has been made the Inspector will publish recommendations in a report and Surrey County Council will only be able to adopt the Minerals and Waste Local Plan in line with any such ‘main modifications’. The Minerals and Waste Planning Authority will also be able to make non-material changes to the draft plan (called ‘additional modifications) at any time before its adoption. The Minerals and Waste Planning Authority may also withdraw the draft plan at any stage prior to its adoption. All being well, Surrey County Council will ‘adopt’ the draft Minerals and Waste Local Plan at one of its formal meetings at which time the plan-making process is concluded, unless there is a legal challenge against the decision to adopt the plan.