The Examination in Public of the East of England Plan finished in February leaving the Panel facing the extremely difficult task of reconciling vastly different viewpoints from the main participants over the level and location of growth across the region.

Although disagreement is only to be expected when the proposed housing levels are so high, the most significant conflict remains between Central Government and the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA). The East of England Plan assumes projections of 465,000 households by 2021 whilst projections from the ODPM are at 561,000.

This assessment of higher housing need has underpinned all representations made by Go-East (the voice of central Government at the Examination) and was particularly evident in discussions of the 'northern' M11 corridor, centred on Stansted, where Go-East strongly criticised numbers which it believed represented a 20% decrease in housing levels in current plans.

At the Examination, Go-East warned that housing totals would suffer from further upward pressure when revised household projections were released in March. When these numbers were published the headlines did indeed declare further increases, however the region by region breakdown told a different story. For the East the numbers remained the same, with the major increases coming from the North and Midlands. Although this diffuses Assembly fears of further pressures it does not, of course, resolve the conflict between the Assembly and Go-East.

Because of this, although specific development locations were discussed at some length in the sessions covering the M11 corridor, the arguments made both for and against must be viewed against a background where the pressure is on from Central Government to provide a higher provision than outlined in the plan.

However, it was clear at the Examination that the Panel have concerns about 'new' allocations at this stage in the process, even at the district level, since this would not allow the local communities or local authorities adequate opportunity to respond now the Examination process has< concluded. This could favour two approaches, either supporting EERA's stated approach of an 'early review' of the Plan to consider allocating a new town, perhaps between Stansted and Cambridge, or increasing the numbers associated with existing major allocations (for example around Harlow).

Whatever approach the Panel recommend, the ultimate decision rests with John Prescott as< Secretary of State. The Panel's report is due out in June/July, with the proposed modifications to the Plan being published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the Autumn. Publication of the Plan is due early next year.