LATEST NEWS: Reserve Housing Sites Preferred Options published for consultation 6 June 2008 to 18 July 2008

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires Local Authorities to prepare Local Development Documents that will make up the Local Development Framework (LDF) for the area. The Core Strategy is the overarching document that outlines the long term vision and spatial objectives for the District and includes strategic policies that are needed to deliver that vision. The Core Strategy guides all LDF policies and includes broad locations required in the delivery of our housing allocation and strategic developments. The Core Strategy was adopted earlier this year as a sound document. However, prior to adoption, in the Report on the Examination into the Core Strategy, the Inspectors concluded that Policy CP4: Housing Provision was unsound in that it did not provide enough flexibility, and therefore recommended a suitable ‘hook’ to enable reserve sites to be included in a subsequent DPD so as not to undermine the Council’s fundamentally sound strategy.

The final paragraph was thus added to Policy CP4 stating that additional land in the most sustainable locations will be identified through the Site Specific Allocations of Land DPD, or a contingency DPD, to be held in reserve and for its release to be managed through Policy CP9. It was decided that a separate DPD for Reserve Housing Sites would be produced as the Site Specific Allocations of Land DPD was already at Examination Stage.

Preferred Options Stage:

This document, therefore, sets out the Council's strategy for dealing with the issue of reserve housing sites and will form part of the suite of LDF documents that aim to govern the long term spatial planning of the District, as set out in the Core Strategy. Following on from the Issues and Options Consultation Paper, published last autumn, this document sets out the Council’s proposed strategy for dealing with the reserve housing sites and identifies sites to be held in reserve.

A Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SA/SEA document) is being carried out alongside this SPD and the SA/SEA Scoping Report went to consultation alongside this document.

Reserve Housing Sites Preferred Options online document (opens in new browser window)

Reserve Housing Sites Preferred Options download document (available as pdf to download)

Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Reserve Housing Sites Preferred Options document (available as pdf to download)

Non-technical summary of the Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Reserve Housing Sites Preferred Options document (available as pdf to download)

Notice of Representation Period formally advertising publication of the document.

Consultation on this document closed on 18 July 2008. All comments received will be analysed and considered when the Pre-Submission Reserve Housing Sites document is prepared later this year.

This document is available for inspection or purchase from the Horsham District Council offices, Park North, North Street, Horsham RH12 1RL. The offices are open 8.45am–5.20pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45am–4.20pm on Fridays. The document is also available for inspection in public libraries and Help Points within the District.

Issues and Options Stage:

The Issues and Options documents are available to view below:

Reserve Housing Sites Issues and Options document online (opens in new brower window)

Reserve Housing Sites document to download (available as pdf to download)

SA/SEA of the Reserve Housing Sites Issues and Options document (available as pdf to download)