Local plan examination delay after data errors

Elmbridge Borough Council said it had “discovered persistent anomalies” in its dataset

Planning errors by Elmbridge Borough Council have forced it to ask for the examination of its 7,000 home local plan to be delayed.

In a letter to a planning inspector, it said it had “discovered persistent anomalies” in its dataset around housing and land supply.

It has apologised for the delay but said it wanted to ensure its data was "as robust as possible".

The inspector responded: “Given the clear recognition within your letter that this is an unwelcome and ill-timed delay, I am minded to pause the examination."

'Unreliable evidence'

Elmbridge Borough Council’s local plan will cover where and what type of homes will be built in the borough over the next 15 years.

However, an error in how the council measured the space for new homes has forced it to ask for the delay until June, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Writing to the inspector, the council said it had “discovered persistent anomalies” and needed to “comprehensively recast... from scratch”.

It said failure to do so would have “led to unreliable evidence”.

The letter read: “The council appreciates this will cause unwelcome delay and disruption to the examination, for which the council sincerely apologises and would not make this request unless it were absolutely necessary."

The planning inspector told the council it had already been alerted that this would need to be cleared as far back as September 2023, February 2024, and again with a follow-up email.

The inspector said: “Nevertheless, given the clear recognition within your letter that this is an unwelcome and ill-timed delay, I am minded to pause the examination until the week commencing 16 June.”

A spokesperson for Elmbridge Borough Council said it had asked for an adjournment with the examination to ensure the data around housing and land supply was "as robust as possible".

They said: “We are appreciative of the planning inspector in granting this request, which won’t detrimentally affect the overall timetable.”