Development Plan Document Examinations - Programme Officer Guidance Notes
2. THE PO AND THE INSPECTOR
2.1 The PO’s primary role is to organise and administer a cost-effective and efficient Examination under the direction and guidance of the Inspector(s) (often there may be more than one Inspector, but for ease of reference these notes refer in the singular). He/she needs to be aware of several matters from the outset:
- The Inspector will decide how to conduct the proceedings and ensure that the Examination is conducted in accordance with the guiding principles of openness, fairness and impartiality (you may hear these referred to as the ‘Franks Principles’)
- The PO and Inspector work as a team. It is important for a good rapport to be established as soon as possible between them as this will promote an effective examination. Planning Officers (employed by the Planning Inspectorate), and Specialist Advisors (used to provide guidance on highly specialised issues arising) may also be included in the team to support the Inspector.
- The PO must be seen as acting independently of the LPA even though it employs him/her. This is particularly so when dealing with representations seeking to make changes to the DPD.
- The PO reports only to the Inspector, taking instructions from the Inspector and carrying these out effectively and efficiently. The PO is the link between the participants i.e. the Inspector, the LPA and those making representations.
- The effectiveness of carrying out the PO’s job will depend on the date of his/her appointment. Ideally, the PO should be appointed early in the DPD preparation process, preferably at preferred options stage (see PPS12, figure 4.1, page 31 for the production stages of a DPD). It is important that the Programme Officer is appointed no later than the 6 week period for representation on the submitted DPD, to enable the efficient management of the administrative process. The Planning Inspectorate will not appoint an Inspector until the LPA has supplied details of the name, address and telephone number of the Programme Officer. Initially appointment may be on a part time basis of 2/3 days per week. This may build up to full time where the DPD is complex and/or the DPD is contentious and there are a large number of representations. After the close of the hearing sessions of the examination, the PO should be retained (on a part time basis where appropriate) for at least a further month – you should check with the Inspector the agreement The Planning Inspectorate has made with the LPA as to the timescale for the Inspector to deliver the final report, which may influence the exact timescale for your retention as programme officer.
- Immediately upon appointment, the PO will be sent a confidentiality letter byThe Inspectorate. This states that the PO will be privy to the address and telephone numbers of the Inspector and will not disclose them to anyone, either before, during or after the process.
