Development Plan Document Examinations - Programme Officer Guidance Notes
8. AVOIDANCE OF FORMAL EXAMINATION SESSIONS
8.1 Every effort needs to be made to deal with the examination as expeditiously as possible. You may work on the presumption that an informal hearing procedure will be favoured over one more formal. It is therefore expected that most sessions at the examination will take the form of informal hearings or round table discussions
8.2 The Inspector will consider the views of the LPA and other parties in determining the most appropriate procedure to adopt for the examination of each individual DPD. However, Inspectors have the power to determine the precise procedure(s) to be adopted at the Examination. Section 2.3 of The Planning Inspectorate Examination guide sets out the types of procedures which will be adopted in detail ; these will be round table discussions and hearings, with formal hearings being used when the Inspector considers there is a need for more complex evidence to be subject to formal cross examination. Even then the process will be clearly led by the Inspector whose aim will be to adopt the most efficient procedure to enable him/her to determine whether the DPD is sound.
8.3 Programme Officers should discuss the approach to be taken with Inspectors accordingly in drawing up the examination programme, and in considering any practical measures that may need to be taken in connection with these procedures. Formal hearing sessions involving advocates should especially be discussed with the Inspector before being programmed.
