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Walpole Cross Keys Neighbourhood Plan

Information about the neighbourhood plan for Walpole Cross Keys Parish

The first Walpole Cross Keys Neighbourhood Plan 2015-2026 was made (adopted) in October 2017. In 2022 the Parish Council mooted the idea of undertaking a review of the 2017 Plan. The Review culminated in submission of the replacement Neighbourhood Plan to the Borough Council in January 2025 (further details are set out below).

Latest news

Examiner issues a Clarification Note

The independent examination of the Walpole Cross Keys Neighbourhood Development Plan Review is now underway. As part of this process, the Independent Examiner, Andrew Ashcroft, has issued a Clarification Note dated 2 February 2026. The note informs that the Examiner has completed an initial review of the submitted Plan, the supporting documents, and the representations made by the public and stakeholders so far, whilst waiting for further statutory consultee comments.

The Clarification Note is a standard part of the examination process and can be viewed below.

View Examiner Clarification Note

Further Regulation 16 Consultation

The examination for the Walpole Cross Keys Neighbourhood Plan Review is advancing well. However, to ensure the Plan is legally compliant, the Borough Council has concluded that it  is necessary to undertake a further 6-week consultation process.

The consultation will be targeted at statutory consultation bodies. Nevertheless, anyone who did not previously comment on the draft Plan may make representations if they so wish.

Comments already received during earlier consultation period (29 September 2025 to 10 November 2025) have been passed to the Examiner and do not need to be resubmitted.

The second consultation process will run from 30 January 2026 to 13 March 2026.

Whilst this consultation is taking place, the Examiner will continue to progress the examination of the Plan. This will include reviewing the evidence base, undertaking a visit to the designated neighbourhood area of Walpole Cross Keys, and sending a clarification note. Once the consultation process has concluded the examiner may need to send a further clarification note.

Please submit your response using the link below:

Regulation 16 Consultation

Full details about the statutory consultation (including the basic conditions) are set out in the statutory Public Notice.

The Neighbourhood Plan and its supporting documents submitted and assessed under Regulation 15/16 can be accessed below:

Supporting documents

Previous stages

Previous Regulation 16 Consultation Responses

Previous Regulation 16 Consultation responses (received March and October 2025) for draft Walpole Cross Keys can be viewed below:

Examination update

We are pleased to confirm that Andrew Ashcroft has now taken on the role of Independent Examiner for the Walpole Cross Keys Neighbourhood Plan Review. Following his appointment, Mr Ashcroft reviewed the proposed changes to the Plan and concluded, in a written note, that the modifications to the Plan are material.

This means that the review must follow full statutory process including Independent Examination; and a local referendum before the Neighbourhood Plan can be formally adopted. Further details will be published once the Examiner issues his Examination Report following the close of Regulation 16 Consultation

The appointment of Andrew Ashcroft follows the withdrawal of the previously appointed examiner, John Slater, who is no longer available due to unforeseen circumstances. The Borough Council worked closely with the Parish Council to ensure a smooth transition and timely continuation of the process

Following the earlier adjournment of the Walpole Cross Keys Neighbourhood Plan 2022–2038 examination by Independent Examiner, John Slater, the Parish Council undertook a revised Regulation 14 consultation between July and August 2025. This included a re-run of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) consultations during the same period. In line with the Examiner’s direction, the Parish Council formally withdrew the previously submitted plan, carried out the necessary consultations, and resubmitted the updated Neighbourhood Plan on 26 August 2025.

As part of the resubmission, the Parish Council ( a Qualifying Body) submitted a Statement of Modifications, providing a policy-by-policy summary of changes which concludes that, taken as a whole the modifications were not significant or substantial enough to change the nature of the plan. The Borough Council also prepared Statement of Modifications, in line with legislative requirements. However, our assessment reached a different conclusion: that the proposed changes to the original Walpole Cross Keys Neighbourhood Plan 2015-2026 (made in 2017) do constitute material modifications that change the nature of the plan. As such, the Council considers that a referendum is required, however the final decision on this matter rests with the Independent Examiner.

Regulation 15 Stage

On 11 September 2025, the Borough Council confirmed through Regulation 15 - Legal Check letter that the resubmitted draft Neighbourhood Plan (Review) is legally compliant and in general conformity with the most relevant national and local strategic planning policies in force at the time of submission. These include the National Planning Policy Framework (February 2025 version) and the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Local Plan 2021–2040 (adopted March 2025).

Walpole Cross Keys Neighbourhood Plan Review adjourned by the Independent Examiner

In June 2025, John Slater was appointed as an independent examiner for the Walpole Cross Keys Neighbourhood Plan Review.  During his initial assessment, the examiner raised potential concerns that the Walpole Cross Keys Neighbourhood Plan Review process did not fully comply with certain procedural requirements as set out in the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations, especially in relation to its treatment as a review of an existing plan.

Following the examiner's advice, and in agreement with both the Parish Council and the Borough Council, it has been decided to suspend the examination and recommence the consultation process, starting again from Regulation 14. This is necessary to ensure that all statutory requirements are met and that the Plan can proceed to examination with full legal compliance as set out in the Introductory Note from John Slater.

What happens next?

A revised Regulation 14 consultation will be launched shortly and will be hosted on the Walpole Cross Keys Parish Council web page. All residents, stakeholders, and interested parties will be invited to review documents and provide their comments during the consultation period.

A revised programme for Neighbourhood Plan review is set out below:

  • September to October 2025 - Regulation 15 re-submission including:
    • Updated NP Review (with any changes identified through Reg 14 representations)
    • Updated Statement of Basic Conditions (reflecting the adopted Local Plan 2021-2040)
    • Updated Consultation Statement
    • Updated SEA & HRA screening report
    • Supporting documents (as previously submitted at Reg 15)
  • October to November 2025 - Regulation 16 consultation led by BCKLWN
    • Legal checks of submission documents
    • BCKLWN Statement of Modifications
  • October to December 2025 - Appointment of Independent Examiner - Andrew Ashcroft
  • January to March 2026 - Regulation 16 Consultation led by BCKLWN
  • March to April 2026 - Publication of Examiner’s Report
  • June to July 2026 - Referendum

Please note the content of the Neighbourhood Plan (as previously submitted in January 2025) remains unchanged. If you have already submitted comments during previous consultations, there is no requirement to resubmit them—unless you wish to add to or amend your response.

All representations received during both the previous and forthcoming consultation periods will be treated with equal consideration and processed in accordance with the relevant statutory procedures.

We appreciate your understanding and continued engagement in shaping the future of Walpole Cross Keys.

For updates and further information, please visit: Walpole Cross Keys Parish Council Neighbourhood Plan pages.

Neighbourhood Plan Submission (Regulation 15)

Walpole Cross Keys Parish Council submitted their Neighbourhood Plan Review to the council on 31 January 2025 in accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, Regulation 15. We have reviewed the submitted documentation and can confirm this meets the requirements of Regulation 15. Please note that the examiner’s concerns relate to earlier, pre-submission stages, of the plan-making process.

The Neighbourhood Plan and other submission documents (as previously submitted in January 2025) are available below:

Supporting documents

Pre-submission stage (Regulation 14)

The draft Walpole Cross Keys Neighbourhood Plan Review was consulted upon by the Parish Council during October – December 2024, under the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, Regulation 14.

During summer 2025, the Parish Council will re-run the first draft (Regulation 14) consultation, to ensure the Neighbourhood Plan Review fully complies with the Regulations.  Once this is complete, the additional revised/ updated documents will be submitted to us, allowing the examination to re-commence (anticipated Autumn 2025).

The Parish Council’s Neighbourhood Planning web page is available to view.

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