Archive - including information on the withdrawn Local Plan

Examination of the Draft Shropshire Local Plan (2016-2038)

The draft Shropshire Local Plan (2016 – 2038) was submitted to the secretary of state for examination on 3 September 2021.

The secretary of state appointed planning inspectors Louise Crosby MA MRTPI, Elaine Worthington MTP MUED MRTPI IHBC and Nick Palmer BA (Hons) BPI MRTPI to carry out an independent examination of the draft Shropshire Local Plan (2016 – 2038). 

Unfortunately in March 2025 the inspectors concluded in their correspondence (ID48) that due to the amount of additional work required to address their soundness concerns, they were “unable to apply our discretion in this case to allow the examination to continue.” As such, they recommended the withdrawal of the draft Shropshire Local Plan or they would prepare their examiners' report finding the draft Shropshire Local Plan unsound.

The council recognised the only options provided by the inspectors resulted in the same outcome, the draft Shropshire Local Plan not proceeding to adoption. As such, in Mach 2025, officers responded to the inspectors (GC57), indicating there was little choice but to recommend to elected members that the draft Shropshire Local Plan be withdrawn from the examination, subject to Section 27 of the Town and Country Planning Act (as amended). 

The decision to withdraw the draft Shropshire Local Plan was subsequently made by council on 17 July 2025. The council formally withdrew the draft Shropshire Local Plan from examination on 25 July 2025.

On 12 February 2025 cabinet agreed that the evidence base supporting the now withdrawn Local Plan forms a material consideration in decision making on relevant planning applications, to support the implementation of the presumption in favour of sustainable development. This includes planning applications for new development on sites proposed to be allocated in the now withdrawn Local Plan