Kent and East Sussex – Local Plan updates and deadlines

Kent and East Sussex Local Plan Update – Time is running out…

If you think you may have land with planning potential now could be your chance to ask for it to be included in the local plan.


Local plans are important planning policy documents which are used to guide development to certain areas.

These plans take a long time in the making, which means that there are only certain times in perhaps a five year period when you can put your land forward for development. Due to the extensive amount of supporting information required to ensure that a Local Plan can make it through to adoption by the Council often these plans have a 15 to 20 year timespan.

Whilst some authorities have recently adopted a Local Plan such as Rother in December 2019 and Thanet who are intending to adopt on 9th July 2020, the Government now encourages the early review of recently adopted plans to ensure that they are both consistent with national policy and also reflective of the current housing requirement.

A number of Local Authorities have just begun work on a “new” Local Plan, such as Eastbourne when Issues and Options were consulted on in late 2019 and Swale where the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment findings were published in May 2020.

If you want to ensure that your site is put before the planners for consideration then it is vital that you engage at the correct time: Dover are hoping to consult on their new plan in late 2020 or early 2021 and Hastings in Summer 2020, however these dates do slip, such as the recent revision to the timetable in Tunbridge Wells with the submission version due for publication in March/April 2021. There have been additional delays as a result of Covid-19 such as the postponement of Tonbridge and Malling’s Examination hearing sessions, although Folkestone and Hythe’s could still go-ahead in a virtual format.

Both Canterbury City and Wealden District Councils are at the same stage in reviewing their local plan and are currently undertaking a Call For Sites requesting landowners to identify any land which they wish to be considered for development. At this stage a council is not being overly prescriptive regarding the form of sites they are looking for, they can be any size or type, including occupied, vacant, derelict or undeveloped land. The level of information required to support the submission varies depending on the size of the site and which Local Planning Authority it is located within.

If you have a piece of land which may be suitable for development (such as housing, employment, mixed use, leisure and community) within Canterbury City or Wealden District Council’s area then please get in touch with our team of Planning Consultants who can advise on how best to take the site forward.

Time is running out and the consultation for Canterbury closes on Tuesday 30th June. If your site is in Wealden then you have until 10th August.

Our team of Senior Planning Consultants are experienced in the promotion of land through the planning system. Please get in touch if you’d like to talk about the prospects of land you own; we can also discuss promotion agreements if you’d like to bring in a development partner

Call 01233 506201 or email:

steve.davies@hobbsparker.co.uk
jonathan.lee@hobbsparker.co.uk
elizabeth.welch@hobbsparker.co.uk


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