To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2008, Official Report, column 644W, on regional planning and development: standards, which local authorities have had their proposed core strategy rejected or found unsound by (a) her Department, (b) independent examination and (c) the relevant government office for the region; and what the reason was for such a finding in each case. (198652)

Development Plan Documents are examined by an Independent Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State.

The Inspector will produce a report, the recommendations of which are binding on the local authority, and which the authority must publish. If there are serious problems with the plan the Inspector may find it to be unsound and require it to be redone and resubmitted. At present, eight local authorities have had their core strategies found unsound in this manner. These are:

Windsor and Maidenhead

Carrick

Teignbridge

Lichfield

Stafford

Ryedale

Chichester

Restormel

The reasons why a plan is unsound are set out in the published Inspector’s report, details of which can be found on the web sites of the relevant local authorities.