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The Salford Local Plan: Development Management Policies and Designations was adopted by full Council on 18 January 2023. The local plan, policies map and various documents published upon the adoption of the plan can be downloaded online.

The plan forms part of the statutory development plan for Salford and replaces all of the saved policies of the Unitary Development Plan.

Given that the examination of the Salford Local Plan: Development Management Policies and Designations is now completed and has been found to be legally compliant and sound, its policies are a very significant material consideration for decision making (albeit they do not form part of the development plan until adoption).

The version of the local plan and the policies map that will be considered at a meeting of Full Council for adoption can be downloaded from the main local plan webpage.

The planning inspector issued a Report to the city council on 3 November 2022; this sets out the findings of the examination of the plan. As a result, the examination of the plan is now completed.

Main modifications have been recommended by the inspector to make the submitted plan sound and legally compliant and capable of adoption. He concludes that with the recommended main modifications set out in the Appendix to his report, the Salford Local Plan: Development Management Policies and Designations satisfies the requirements of Section 20(5)(a) of the 2004 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act and meets the criteria for soundness in the National Planning Policy Framework.

The inspector’s report (document reference ID016) and main modifications schedule (ID017) have been added to the examination library.

The current intention is that the adoption of the local plan will be considered at a meeting of Full Council on 18 January 2023.

The city council has prepared schedules of the post-submission representations received, summarised them and provided a response to them (see documents SCC063 to SCC069). In addition the city council wrote to the inspector on 1 August 2022 in relation to these matters (document SCC070). These documents have been added to the examination library.

Consultation on the Post-submission modifications closed at 4.30pm on Monday 11 July 2022.

Post-submission modifications were published on 30 May 2022 and comments are being invited on these until 11 July 2022.

The proposed modifications to the plan were approved by Cabinet on 17 May 2022 for a period of consultation, although the Record of Decision was not signed until 20 May 2022. Given this, and subject to there being no-call-in of the decision, it is now intended that consultation will take place for six weeks between Monday 30 May 2022 and Monday 11 July 2022.

The proposed modifications to the plan were approved by Cabinet on 17 May 2022 for a period of consultation. Subject to there being no-call-in of the decision, consultation will take place for six weeks between Friday 27 May 2022 and Friday 8 July 2022.

The city council provided the inspector with an update in relation to the drafting of addenda to supporting documents.

In addition, details of the timeline for consultation on proposed modifications was provided; subject to approval by Salford City Council Cabinet on 17 May and there being no call-in of the decision, consultation will be for a period of 6 weeks starting around 25 May 2022.

The letter to the inspector has been added to the examination library as document SCC062.

The city council responded to a letter from the inspector dated 1 March 2022. This response has been added to the examination library as document SCC061; the inspector’s letter is in the examination library as document ID014.

The inspector sent a letter to the city council dated 1 March 2022 relating to proposed modifications and consultation. As requested, the letter and the inspector’s revised draft Main Modifications that were attached to the letter have been added to the examination library as documents ID014 and ID015.

In addition the inspector has also asked the council to publish the draft Additional Modifications schedule that was provided to him by the city council, and an updated draft composite plan showing all of the modifications. These documents have been added to the examination library as documents SCC059 and SCC060.

The city council will formally respond to the inspector’s letter shortly and this response will be added to the examination library.

As referenced in the city council's hearing statements (HS001, HS022 and HS067) and further discussed at relevant examination hearing sessions an update to the Submission Statement of Common Ground has been produced by the city council. This has now been signed by all relevant organisations and has been added to the examination library (see documents SCC058 to SCC058m)

As requested by the inspector at the final examination hearing session, the following documents were provided to the inspector on 28 January 2022:

• Modifications schedules (Main and Additional)
• A new composite version of the plan

The Programme Officer has indicated that the planning inspector will now review these documents and come back to the council in the next 2-3 weeks with any queries or changes.

As requested by the inspector, the following documents have been produced by the city council and added to the examination library:

• Actions arising from hearing sessions (see document SCC056)
• Suggested site visits as identified through the examination hearings – schedule and maps (see documents SCC057 and SCC057a to c)

The examination hearings closed on Thursday 16 December 2021.

The inspector issued version three of the programme for the hearing sessions. See document ID004b of the examination library.

The inspector has issued:

• An addition to the note for participants in the virtual hearings. This has been added to the examination library (see document ID006a)
• Agendas for the week one hearings (7 to 10 December 2021). These have been added to the examination library (see documents ID007 to ID010).

The links to register to observe the week one hearings (7 to 10 December 2021) have been published on the examination hearings webpage.

The inspector issued version two of the programme for the hearing sessions. See document ID004a of the examination library.

An updated privacy notice has been published by the city council which explains how personal data aired at any virtual hearing sessions will be used, recorded, stored and deleted. See document SCC015a of the examination library.

The inspector’s note for participants in the virtual hearings was and has been added to the examination library (see document ID006 - Adobe PDF format, 84kb).

The examination hearing statements prepared by the city council and representors were published on 16 November 2021 and have been added to the examination library (see documents HS001 to HS085).

A schedule of further main modifications, and a schedule of further additional modifications has been added to the examination library. See documents SCC045 and SCC046 of the examination library.

The city council submitted its responses to the inspector’s matters, issues and questions. The covering letter for this has been added to the examination library. See document SCC044 of the examination library.

The initial programme for the hearing sessions, the Inspector’s Guidance Note and the Inspector’s Matters, Issues and Questions were published on 18 October 2021 and have been added to the examination library (see documents ID002 to ID004).

A privacy notice has been published by the city council which explains how personal data aired at any virtual hearing sessions will be used, recorded, stored and deleted. See document SCC015 of the examination library.