Local Plan review examination

Providing a vision of how Croydon will look in the future.

The Local Plan is the most important planning policy for the borough, providing a vision of how Croydon will look in 2040.  It will act as a framework for the planning and management of development in the borough over that period. The plan will serve as the foundation for a range of other planning documents that will form the Local Development Framework for Croydon.

The Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for Examination in Public on 29 November 2024.

In accordance with section 20(4) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the following have been appointed to hold an independent examination of the Croydon Local Plan Review:

  • B. Clarke BA (Hons.) MSc MRTPI
  • L. Gibbons BA (Hons) MRTPI
  • G. Kean BA (Hons.) Solicitor MIPRoW MRTPI 

The inspectors will examine the representations and the Local Plan against a number of legal requirements. They will then prepare a report following the examination hearings that will include a series of recommendations.  

In accordance with the current Local Development Scheme, the Local Plan Examination in Public was due to take place between December 2024 to April 2025. As of June 2025, the Planning Inspectorate issued a timetable for  the public hearings. The Inspectorate also issued two sets of Preliminary Questions in February 2025 and June 2025. The timetable and all the Inspector’s questions can be viewed in the Google Drive folder along with the other examination and submission documents.

This page will be updated as the examination progresses.

Read the government guidance on Examining Local Plan Procedural Practice in public. 

Examination hearing update

The hearing sessions for the examination of the Croydon Local Plan Review will commence on Tuesday 2 September. The programme for the hearing sessions is available here: IN3 Examination Programme. 

The Inspectors have published their Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs), IN5 (Weeks 1 and 2) which can be viewed here:  IN5 MIQs Weeks 1 and 2. 

Copies of the Hearing Statements of the Council and other parties for Weeks 1 and 2 are available to view here: IN5 MIQs Weeks 1 and 2.

MIQs for Weeks 3 and 4 IN6, which will commence on Tuesday 14 October,  are available here: IN6 MIQs Weeks 3 and 4. Hearing statements and agendas for these sessions will be made available in due course.

The agenda for each session will be made available, and held in the hearing agenda folder.

Any documents prepared after the original submission such as new SoCGs (Statements of Common Ground) will be made available here in the documents submitted and accepted at hearing session folder.

The hearing sessions will not be live streamed or recorded.

Examination process

The examination process will include:

  • Local Plan pre-hearing meeting, the agenda and any subsequent notes will be available in the downloads section.
  • Examination in Public, where the Planning Inspector will raise questions and issues.
  • Local Plan hearings, as part of the Examination in Public the inspector will schedule a series of hearings focusing on key issues. This page will be updated once we know the timings on the hearings.
  • Hearing documents: documents relating to the hearings are available in the downloads section.

Other documents that form part of the examination include:

  • An examination library, submitted documents including:
    • national and regional planning policy
    • evidence documents
    • other documents which the council has had regard to in preparing the Local Plan or that the parties were likely to refer to through the Examination in Public.
  • A schedule of Further Proposed Minor Changes: a number of Further Proposed Minor Changes could be proposed by the council to address representations or issues of presentation. As these changes will be only minor, a sustainability appraisal will not be required.
  • Statements of Common Ground agreed between the council and specific consultees.
  • Memorandums of Understanding sent by statutory bodies in relation to duty to co-operate.

All documents and meetings will be shared in the downloads section of this page.

For information about the examination process please see the government publication: Examining Local Plans Procedural Practice.

Local Plan review documents

Programme officer

For matters relating to examination procedures please contact Chris Banks. You can email bankssolutionsuk@gmail.com or call 01903 783722. 

Chris Banks 
Programme Officer 
c/o Banks Solutions 
64 Lavinia Way 
East Preston 
West Sussex 
BN16 1EF 

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