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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

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).

Regulation 16 Consultation

The next stage in the process is the statutory Regulation 16 consultation. The purpose of this consultation is to gather public comments on the plan and its compliance with "basic conditions," including national policy, sustainable development goals, and human rights requirements. All submitted comments will be forwarded to an Independent Examiner for consideration. The examiner will assess the plan and decide if it can proceed to a referendum. This consultation invites representations on whether the Plan meets the “basic conditions”, as set out in the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended).

The Regulation 16 Consultation will run for six weeks from 29 September 2025 to 10 November 2025.

Please submit your response below.

Regulation 16 Consultation

All Representations in response to the Regulation 16 consultation will be made available on these pages after consultation formally closes.

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

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/ 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/ November 2025 – Regulation 16 consultation led by BCKLWN
    • Legal checks of submission documents
    • BCKLWN Statement of Modifications
  • October – December 2025 – Recommencement of Neighbourhood Plan examination, following close of the Regulation 16 consultation
  • December 2025/ January 2026 – Publication of Examiner’s Report
  • March 2026 – Referendum (if deemed necessary by the Examiner)

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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