Local Plan for the Broads - Review

The Local Plan guides development and land use in the special Broads environment.

Its purpose is to make sure any new development is of high quality and appropriately located in the unique Broads landscape.

Emerging Local Plan for the Broads

Latest news

Follow the latest news associated with the local plan examination here as the examination progresses. All the examination documentation can be found in the Examination Library, which will also be updated throughout the course of the examination.

Examination of Local Plan for the Broads

The emerging Local Plan for the Broads was submitted to the Secretary of State for examination on 16 February 2026 under Regulation 22 of The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended). This new Local Plan upon adoption will replace the Current Local Plan (2019).

The new Local Plan is presented as a single document which includes a strategy for development, including identifying needs for housing and economic development over the period to 2042. The plan also identifies land for development and other site-specific policies, as well as detailed policies to help determine planning applications.

All examination documentation can be found in the Examination Library and the latest news associated with the examination is detailed above. The prescribed 'Submission Documents' will also be available for inspection at the following venues. We recommend that you check with the venues about opening times.

• Libraries: Acle, Beccles, Brundall, Bungay, Cromer, Great Yarmouth, Loddon, Lowestoft, Oulton Broad, Norwich Millennium, Stalham and Wroxham.
• Council Offices: Broadland and South Norfolk, North Norfolk, and Norfolk County.
• Yare House

This is set out in the Statement of Fact (PDF).

Planning Inspector

Inspector L Fleming (BSc (Hons) MRTPI IHBC) and Inspector S Edwards (BA MA MATCP MRTPI) have been appointed to hold an independent examination of the Broads Authority Local Plan.

Programme Officer

Kylie Moos has been appointed as 'Programme Officer' for the examination of the Local Plan for the Broads. The programme officer provides the main link between the Planning Inspector, the Broads Authority and participants. The main roles of the programme officer are to organise and administer the examination, including organisation of the public hearing sessions and dealing with all procedural matters. The programme officer is independent from the process of producing the Local Plan and reports directly to the appointed examination inspector.

Programme Officer contact details

Name: Kylie Moos

Email: programme.officer@broads-authority.gov.uk

Phone: 01603 756044

Post: Yare House, 62-64 Thorpe Rd, Norwich NR1 1RY

Examination key stages & timeline

• To follow

Further information

What is a local plan examination?

Once a Local Planning Authority (LPA), such as the Broads Authority, has finished preparing and consulting on a local plan this must be submitted to the Secretary of State (central government) who will appoint an Inspector through the Planning Inspectorate to carry out an independent examination.

The examination will assess whether the plan has been prepared in accordance with legal and procedural requirements, and consider if the plan is 'sound'. There are four tests of 'soundness' which are set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. In summary, these consider whether the plan:

• has been positively prepared to meet objectively assessed needs,
• is justified by proportionate evidence,
• is effective, being deliverable, and based upon effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic matters, and
• consistent with national planning policy.

The Inspector will consider the evidence provided by the LPA to support the plan and any representations (comments) which have been submitted by local people and other interested parties through the Regulation 19 pre-submission publication stage and over the course of the examination. In most cases the examination will include hearing sessions which are held in public.

At the end of the examination the Inspector will send a report to the LPA recommending whether or not they can adopt the plan. In most cases the report will recommend some changes that are necessary to meet the tests of soundness and to allow the plan to be adopted. These changes are known as 'main modifications'.

In carrying out the examination, the Inspector will be conscious of the benefits of having a robust and up to date plan adopted as quickly as possible and will apply the principles of openness, fairness and impartiality.

Further guidance on the local plan examination process is available on the Local Plans: the examination process webpage. In addition, the Planning Inspectorate has provided a Procedure Guide for Local Plan Examinations, and a short guide aimed at those participating in a local plan examination for the first time.