Consultation on the Rutland Local Plan has finally ended, with the county council wanting to thank those who took part.

The Local Plan sets out planning policies for the Rutland area, as well as listing sites for additional housing, employment and other development for the period 2018 to 2036.

As part of the closing stages of the Local Plan process, Regulation 19 Consultation took place from Thursday 27 August to Friday 6 November.

This final public consultation allowed residents, businesses and other stakeholders to comment whether the Local Plan meets the 'Test of Soundness' – whether the Plan is sound and has been prepared in accordance with all necessary legal and procedural requirements.

With the Regulation 19 consultation now closed, the Council has also outlined the next steps for the Local Plan process.

Councillor Gordon Brown, Cabinet Member for Planning, said: "We had a very strong response to the consultation over a period of more than two months and are grateful to everyone who took part.

"Our Planners are now working their way through all the responses before the comments, together with the Local Plan and all supporting documents, are submitted to the Secretary of State.

"The Secretary of State will then appoint an independent Planning Inspectorate, who will conduct an independent review of the plan and all of the representations received, to determine whether the plan is sound. This is called an Examination in Public."

Rutland County Council will notify all statutory consultees, those specified in its Statement of Community Involvement and anyone who has asked to be kept informed throughout the process, to confirm when Rutland's submission has been made to the Secretary of State.

The Council will be advised of the timetable for the public examination after the independent Planning Inspector has been appointed.

If it is found to be sound by the Secretary of State's independent Planning Inspectorate, the final Local Plan, together with any modifications proposed by the Inspector, will then be considered for adoption at a meeting of Rutland's Full Council. The date for this meeting is not expected to be before the latter part of 2021.

For more information about the Rutland Local Plan, please visit: www.rutland.gov.uk/localplanreview or email [email protected].