The next stage towards the adoption of a new Local Plan which will get Horsham District back to plan-led development will take place on 6 July when the Horsham District Council Cabinet will meet to recommend main modifications to the draft Horsham District 2023-2040 Local Plan.
Cabinet papers outlining the proposed modifications will be published tomorrow, 26 June, in advance of the Cabinet meeting. Approved recommendations will then go out to a public consultation that will start on 13 July and run for six weeks until 24 August.
At the Stage One examination hearings which were held in April this year, the government’s Planning Inspector identified various modifications that need to be made to the plan. Since the plan was originally submitted for examination in July 2024, the government has introduced major reform to the planning process and, locally, we have seen the ending of water neutrality. As a result, the Inspector is now requiring the Council to plan for increased housing numbers.
This consultation gives residents, businesses and stakeholders a chance to have their say on the detail of the proposed changes that the Inspector has requested. All responses to this consultation will be considered by the Inspector.
Once these consultation responses are reviewed, the Stage Two examination hearings will start in the autumn of 2026. The Inspector will then proceed to issue his final report and the Council can move towards full adoption of the 2023-2040 Plan early next year.
Further details about the Horsham District 2023-2040 Local Plan can be found here:
https://www.horsham.gov.uk/planning/local-plan
Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure Cllr Ruth Fletcher commented:
“The first stage of the examination of our Local Plan went well and we have now progressed to the main modifications stage. The Inspector has set us a challenging task and we will need to allocate more sites to meet the new housing numbers he requires.
“Having reassessed the sites that were originally put forward by promoters, we will need to include an additional strategic site plus a greater number of smaller and medium housing sites to provide a balanced pattern of growth across the District as a whole.
“The Council has worked tirelessly to prepare a plan that will get Horsham back to plan-led development that can provide the necessary supporting infrastructure such as schools, rather than accepting haphazard development.
“I encourage you to take this important opportunity to review the modifications and have your say when the consultation opens on 13 July.”