The Planning Inspectorate will introduce a pre-examination
checklist for local plans from 6 October 2025. The checklist is
designed to ensure plans are ready for examination, resulting in
a more efficient process for both local planning authorities and
the Inspectorate whilst maintaining examination
quality.
Purpose of the pre-examination checklist
The Planning Inspectorate examines local plans on behalf of the
Secretary of State to ensure they meet legal requirements and
tests of soundness before adoption.
The pre-examination checklist will form part of that
responsibility and will allow local planning authorities and the
Inspectorate to check whether a plan is “ready for examination”
before submission of the plan. This aims to minimise the risk of
local planning authorities, interested parties, and the Planning
Inspectorate participating in examinations that take a
significant amount of time and resources but ultimately result in
a conclusion that the plan cannot be found sound or legally
compliant.
The checklist will require local planning authorities to ensure
they have provided examining inspectors with comprehensive,
accessible information relating to legal compliance, plan content
and available evidence.
How the process works
Local planning authorities will be requested to complete the
checklist and send it to the Planning Inspectorate before their
plan is submitted. The information provided will help the
Planning Inspectorate assess if:
-
all necessary practical arrangements are in place
-
essential evidence and other documents are ready for
submission; and
-
the rationale for the plan content is clear.
To ensure the process remains as efficient as possible, the
Inspectorate will aim to respond within 10 working days of
receiving a completed checklist. If deemed ready for examination,
the local planning authority will be invited to submit its plan
immediately. If the Planning Inspectorate's assessment of the
checklist suggests the plan may not be ready for examination, the
local planning authority will be provided with recommended
actions to address identified shortcomings.
The checklist and Inspectorate's response will be made available
on the examination website along with the plan and all other
submission documents to maintain transparency for
all.
Further detail on this change can be found in the Procedure Guide and related
documents.
