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Local plans: pre-examination checklists (legacy system)

The pre-examination checklists are to help local planning authorities ensure their plan is “ready for examination” as referred to in section 20 of the 2004 Act.

Updates to this page

From:
Planning Inspectorate
Published:
23 September 2025
Last updated:
18 August 2026
Show all updates

  1. Minor edit to Q3.19 b on the full planning checklist

  2. (legacy system) added to the title

  3. Full Local Plan checklist updated to add a link to PINS’ HLS templates

  4. The change to all 3 checklists relate to duty to cooperate being abolished.

  5. All 3 pre-examination checklists updated with minor formatting.

  6. checklists updated with a box for the LPA to add the plan name

  7. We’ve updated the local plans pre-examination checklists to reflect the Minister’s letter to PINS of 27 Nov 2025.

  8. 2nd para under 'Before submission' heading changed and Question 2.4 c changed

  9. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Pre Examination checklist for full local plans

MS Word Document, 135 KB

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email corpcomms@planninginspectorate.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Pre Examination checklist for minerals and waste local plans

ODT, 115 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email corpcomms@planninginspectorate.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Pre Examination checklist for DPDs that are not full local plans such as AAPs, partial updates and part 2 plans

ODT, 71 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email corpcomms@planninginspectorate.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

For plans under the new plan-making system 

If you are submitting your plan under the new system, use the create or update a local plan new system guidance. 

The new plan-making system covers plans that will be prepared and amended under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, as modified by the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023.

The pre-examination checklist now forms part of the Service Level Agreement between the Planning Inspectorate and local planning authorities.  

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