Horsham District Council has confirmed discussions on the development of its Local Plan are set to progress, marking an important step toward providing greater certainty for local communities and future home building across the District.
The Council has received a formal response from the Local Plan Inspector to the Council’s letter of November 2025, which set out the significant changes in circumstances affecting the Local Plan examination (particularly around water neutrality and the duty to co-operate) and requested that the Inspector re-open the hearings.
In his reply, the Inspector agrees that circumstances have materially changed and welcomes the Council’s willingness to support amendments to the draft plan. To explore the implications of this in more detail, the Inspector has offered an exploratory meeting, expected to take place in February 2026.
This marks an important development in resuming the examination process and providing clarity on how the plan can be advanced.
Full details of the Inspector’s letter can be found on the Council’s website.
The Council is now carefully considering the matters raised and will provide a formal response to the Inspector shortly.
Cllr Ruth Fletcher, Horsham District Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure, said: “Horsham District Council has been clear throughout that delivering an up to date Local Plan is the best way to provide the homes and infrastructure our communities need while protecting the environment.
We welcome the Inspector’s acknowledgement that the situation has changed so significantly following the changes to restrictions on developments in the district from Natural England’s Water Neutrality statement.
“The Inspector’s decision to hold an exploratory meeting is an important next step. We will continue to work constructively with the Planning Inspectorate to move the examination forward.”