Local Plan Examination

Main Modifications Consultation

The London Borough of Harrow submitted the draft Harrow Local Plan 2021 to 2041 for independent examination on 26 February 2025. The examination is being carried out by an independent Planning Inspector appointed on behalf of the Secretary of State.

As part of the examination, public hearing sessions took place in June, July and October 2025 and following those hearings the Inspector asked the Council to consult on a set of proposed Main Modifications (reference: LBH/ED30). That consultation has now concluded.

What are Main Modifications?

Main Modifications are changes required to make the Plan sound or legally compliant in the light of issues identified during the examination.

Sound/Soundness

For a Local Plan to be found sound it must:

  • be positively prepared (based on what the area actually needs and on proportionate evidence),
  • be justified (the most appropriate strategy when compared with reasonable alternatives),
  • be effective (deliverable over the plan period), and
  • be consistent with national policy.

The Main Modifications set out a series of changes required to resolve issues that make the Local Plan unsound or where it is not legally compliant. These changes were published for consultation without prejudice to the Inspector’s ultimate conclusions and recommendations on the Plan.

Please note that comments could only be made on the proposed Main Modifications to the Local Plan, not the full draft Plan as submitted for Examination on 26 February 2025.

Representations on the Main Modifications were required to set out clearly:

  • which Main Modification was being commented on, and
  • why the Main Modification was considered to be legally non compliant or unsound, having regard as appropriate to the soundness criteria set out above.

It was also helpful to explain precisely how the Plan should be modified.

Policies Map changes

The Council also published proposed revisions to the Policies Map (online only) (reference: LBH/ED33) and Atlas of Change (LBH/ED34). These do not form part of the Main Modifications. They were published alongside them and were limited to those needed to give effect to the Main Modifications. Comments were required to relate only to these changes as part of this consultation stage.

Additional Modifications

Alongside the Main Modifications the Council also published a schedule of Additional Modifications (reference: LBH/ED35).

Additional Modifications are changes that, taken together, the Council considers do not materially affect the Plan and which it can therefore make when the Plan is adopted. These are minor changes and include factual updates and changes for consistency, clarity and corrections.

These Additional Modifications are not required to make the Plan sound and do not form part of the formal examination. Any comments on Additional Modifications will be considered by the Council rather than the Inspector.

Other supporting documents

An updated Integrated Impact Assessment, which includes the Sustainability Appraisal and the Habitats Regulations Assessment (reference: LBH/ED31 and appendices), and a Non Technical Summary (LBH/ED32) were also published for viewing and comment.

Other supporting documents, such as the Council’s responses to the Inspector’s requests (LBH/ED15 to LBH/ED29), remain available to view in the Examination Library.

Where the documents could be viewed during the consultation

All consultation documents were available:

  • on the Local Plan Examination website, and
  • for inspection at all Harrow Libraries during opening hours, as well as the Harrow Council Hub by appointment.

The documents available included:

  • the Schedule of Main Modifications (LBH/ED30),
  • the updated Policies Map (LBH/ED33) and Atlas of Change (LBH/ED34),
  • the Schedule of Additional Modifications (LBH/ED35), and
  • the updated Integrated Impact Assessment, including the Sustainability Appraisal (LBH/ED31), the Habitats Regulations Assessment in Appendix G of LBH/ED31, and the Non Technical Summary (LBH/ED32).

How to comment

The consultation ran for six weeks, starting at 11.59am on Monday 10 November 2025 and concluding at 12.01pm on Tuesday 23 December 2025.

Representations were required to be submitted using the Council’s representation form, which was available on the website in Word and PDF format and at all locations where physical copies of consultation documents were available.

The Council also published a Statement of Representations Procedure.

Please note that representations and comments will be made publicly available. Personal contact information will be removed. The contact details of those who made comments will be provided to the Programme Officer, who is responsible for organising and managing the Examination and is independent of the Council, so that participants can be kept informed of the examination process.

You can request to be notified of the progress of the Examination, including the publication of the Inspector’s report and adoption of the Local Plan.

What happens next?

Following the close of the consultation on 23 December 2025, the Inspector will review the representations received and prepare her final report