Lawshall Neighbourhood Plan
A new version of the Lawshall Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) - the Lawshall NP Review - has been prepared by Lawshall Parish Council and local community to continue to help guide and shape future development in the parish. It covers the plan period 2021 - 2037 and now replaces the previously adopted plan.
Latest news...
Reg 20 Formal adoption (19 Apr 2024)
In an 'Officer Decision' taken on Friday 19 April 2024, Babergh District Council agreed to adopt ('make') the Lawshall NP Review.
- Read the adopted Lawshall NP Review 2021 - 2037
- Read the Adoption Statement
- See the Officer Decision request
Supporting documents
The following documents act as supporting evidence for the adopted plan:
- A Lawshall Character Assessment (2023)
- The Lawshall Design Guidance & Codes (AECOM, Sept 2021)
- An Assessment of Important Views (Jun 2023)
- A Local Green Spaces Assessment (Apr 2024) [Nb. This is a post-examination version with corrected maps.]
- A Housing Needs Assessment (AECOM, Apr 2023)
Previous stages...
Reg 18 Exam Report Decision Statement (6 Mar 2024)
The following statement confirmed our acceptance of the recommendations set in the Examiners Report:
Reg 17 Examination (final report 22 Feb 2024)
Babergh District Council appointed Ann Skippers BSc (Hons) MRTPI FHEA FRSA AoU to carry out an independent examination of the Lawshall NDP Review. The examination included two focused consultation periods which were relevant to the basic condition tests. Details of those events are published further below.
On Thursday 22 February 2024, the Examiner issued her final report. It recommends that the Review Plan did not need to go back to a local referendum and that, subject to some additional modifications being made, the district council should 'make' (adopt) the plan.
R17 Examination (2nd focused consultation. Ended 26 Jan 2024)
In late December 2023, the Government published a new NPPF. This second focused consultation exercise was undertaken to allow for new comments to be made on the relevant basic condition test. The consultation period ran from 10 - 26 January 2024.
A copy of the consultation letter and all made representations is published below:
R17 Examination (1st focused consultation. Ended 11 Dec 2023)
Following publication of a new NPPF (in Sept 2023), and the adoption of the Joint Local Plan Part 1 (in Nov 2023), we carried out a focused consultation exercise on whether or not these two events had implications for the Lawshall NP Review with regard to it meeting two of the basic condition tests. The consultation period ran from 27 November to 11 December 2023.
A copy of the consultation letter and all made representations are published below.
Reg 17(e)(ii) Statement
The NDP regulations required the relevant local planning authority to submit a statement to the examiner that sets out their assessment of the nature of the modifications being made to the NDP.
Reg 16 Submission consultation (2 Aug to 15 Sept 2023)
The submission draft Lawshall NP Review was published for public consultation between 2 August and 15 September 2023.
The Parish Council (the qualifying body) had formally submitted the following documents.
- A Map identifying the NDP Area
- The submission draft Lawshall NP Review 2021-2037
- A Consultation Statement
- A Basic Conditions Statement [includes a statement from the QB that changes made to the Review Plan would require examination but not a referendum]
- Copies of the SEA and HRA Screening Reports and Determination Notices (see under Previous Stages section below)
- A number of other supporting documents (now published above with the adopted plan)
An assessment on how this Review Plan met the basic conditions formed part of examination (see above). At the time, our initial checks suggested that the relevant requirements had been met. See our Regulation 15 Checklist.
Respondents were also reminded that their comments would be forwarded to the examiner and, with the exception of personal details, be published on this website.
• Read the Reg 16 Consultation responses
• Read the Parish Council's response
SEA/HRA screening and determination (Jan 2023)
The pre-submission draft plan was screened to determine whether a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and or a habitats assessment (HRA) were needed. Both were 'screened-out'. The relevant reports and determination notices are published below:
- Read the Lawshall NP Review SEA screening opinion (LUC, Nov 2022)
- Read the Lawshall NP Review SEA determination notice (Jan 2023)
- Read the Lawshall NP Review HRA screening report (LUC, Nov 2022)
- Read the Lawshall NP Review HRA determination notice (Jan 2023)
Reg 14 Pre-submission consultation (15 Oct to 30 Nov 2022)
Pre-submission consultation on the Review Plan ended on 30 November 2022.
The previously adopted Lawshall NDP 2016 - 2036
With the exception of the area designation notice, all other documents relating to the previously adopted Lawshall NP (Oct 2017) have been archived from this webpage.