Latest News and Updates

DISTRICT PLAN ADOPTED

The Council adopted the East Herts District Plan at an Extraordinary Council on 23rd October 2018. The Plan now holds full weight in the determination of planning applications.

HOLDING DIRECTION LIFTED

On 12^th October 2018, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government informed the Council that following careful consideration of all the issues raised in respect of the District Plan holding direction he put in place on 11th September 2018, that his views on the Plan do not differ from the conclusions reached by the Inspector in July.  Therefore, the holding direction has now been withdrawn. Letter withdrawing the Holding Direction 12th October 2018 [139KB]

The Council intends to hold an Extraordinary Council meeting on the 23 October 2018 to vote on the official adoption of the District Plan.

On September 11 the council was issued with a holding direction on the District Plan, which was due to adopted by the council later that day. Letter Issuing the Holding Direction 11th September 2018 [248KB]

More news on this can be found on the Current Status of the District Plan page.

The East Herts District Plan was subject to an Examination in Public with hearing sessions held between October 2017 and January 2018 followed by a period of public consultation on the Main Modifications agreed through the Examination between February and March 2018.

Following this, the Inspector has issued her Final Report on the Examination of the East Herts District Plan on the 9th July 2018.  The Final Report and the Schedule of Main Modifications are available to view on the District Plan Examination page.

Hard copies of the Final Report and Schedule of Main Modifications will be available for public inspection during normal office hours at the East Herts Council Offices in Hertford and Bishop's Stortford, town council offices and in libraries across the district from the 17th July.

The Council received a 'fact check' version of the Inspector's Report on the 25th June 2018.  The Council has until the 9th July to complete its fact check.  While the Council is not permitted to question the Inspector's conclusions, it may seek clarification on any conclusions that are considered to be unclear. 

Once the fact check has been completed and the Inspector has responded to any points raised, the Planning Inspectorate will submit the final report to the Council.  As the report may be amended following the fact check, the Planning Inspectorate advise that the report is not made available to the public until the final report is received.  PINS Covering Letter - Fact Check Report [86KB]

The Inspectors for the EiP's of the East Herts District Plan and the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan have confirmed that the joint hearing session for Birchall Garden Suburb will be held in the Welwyn Hatfield Council Chamber, on Tuesday 30th January 2018, starting at 9.30 am.  

The  Programme Officer will be sending out the Inspectors' matters and issues for discussion and the hearing sessions programme in the next few days to all those who responded to the consultations on the pre submission draft of either of  the individual plans.  

The morning session scheduled for Wednesday 4^th October will not take place as the discussion was completed on Tuesday 3rd October 2017 in the afternoon session.

The next hearing session is going ahead as planned on Wednesday 4^th October at 2pm, details can be seen under the Hearing Sessions tab.