Horsham District Council has announced this week that it has submitted its new Horsham District Local Plan 2023-2040 to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on Friday 26 July 2024 for examination by an independent Planning Inspector.
The emerging Local Plan identifies the expected number and locations for new homes and development areas for economic growth over the next 15 years. The Local Plan also includes policies to ensure that development which comes forward protects the environment, taking into account climate change and the natural environment, as well as appropriate considerations for water neutrality.
The submission of the plan follows the publication of the draft Plan for a period of representation between January to March this year. Horsham District residents and stakeholders were invited to share their views on whether the Regulation 19 document met national planning tests and legal requirements. Over 1,600 comments were received from just over 1,000 respondents, including Parish Councils and local residents. These comments are all being forwarded to the Inspector for careful consideration, along with a wide range of supporting documentation as part of the Local Plan examination process.
The Local Plan Submission documents and supporting evidence documents can be viewed on the Council’s website.
Documents can also be viewed at Horsham District Council main office during their standard opening hours, at the following address: Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1RL.
The submitted documents include:
- Submission Horsham District Local Plan 2023-2040
- Sustainability Appraisal/Strategic Environmental Assessment documents
- Submission Policies Map
- Habitat Regulations Assessment documents
- Consultation Statement and Appendices (regulation 22(1)(c))
- All representations made in accordance with regulation 20
- A number of other supporting documents relevant to the plan preparation.
Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure Cllr Ruth Fletcher said: “Delivering an up-to-date Local Plan is a top priority for us and submitting our plan for examination is a major milestone.
“By the time the current council was elected, the existing Horsham District Planning Framework had fallen out of date and speculative developments in inappropriate countryside sites had already started to be a major problem. As we get closer to final approval, the new Local Plan gets more ‘weight’ and we start to regain more ability to resist applications for damaging new greenfield developments that do not deliver the services and infrastructure that we need.
Our new plan must deliver more homes for our thriving District. We all know that housing costs are a massive problem in the south-east; our plan will require a larger proportion of affordable homes, which is especially important for the younger generation and those who work here.
“We will require developers to build to higher environmental standards. This will not just reduce our carbon emissions but will also reduce residents’ heating costs and improve biodiversity. We live in a water-stressed area, so all new homes will have to be more water-efficient. There will be stronger requirements on developers to create places where it is safe and attractive to walk and cycle for shorter trips.
“Many services such as schools and GPs lie outside our direct control, but our plan requires developers to make provision for these services in time to serve the new residents, and we will work with our partners to help make this happen.
I am proud to be part of a team of councillors and officers who have grasped the nettle of the new Local Plan with a positive and ambitious attitude towards getting the job done under a very tight timescale and in the face of constantly shifting planning rules.
“I would like to thank everyone who took part in the consultations over the last few years. My thanks also to all of our officers who have been involved in preparing this critical piece of work, which has involved addressing some very difficult challenges. “
Now that the plan and accompanying documents and evidence have been submitted, a Planning Inspector will be appointed to review and assess it. They will consider whether the plan has met the legal requirements; and whether it meets the required tests of ‘soundness’ which are set out in national policy, and if the Council has engaged and worked effectively with neighbouring authorities and statutory bodies as part of the Duty to Co-operate.
Once appointed, the Planning Inspector will set out the next steps in the examination process, which will be published on the Council's website.
For more information about the local plan examination process, the Government has also created a guide, which can be found on the Government's local plan examination website.