Horsham District 2045
Preparing a Local Plan to meet the future needs of our District
Horsham District is a popular place to live with a strong economy and a high quality of life which attracts people to work here.
The Government has asked that Horsham District Council looks into the future and considers how we plan to 2045 and beyond. The Council has therefore started work on a new local plan, entitled Horsham District 2045.
In accordance with the new planning legislation (Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026) the Council gives notice that it is preparing a new local plan. Read the Notice of Intention to Commence Local Plan preparation below.
Scoping Consultation
The very first stage of plan making is the Scoping Consultation, where we are seeking your initial thoughts as to the issues that the new local plan for the District should consider. This consultation will be open for a period of four weeks, commencing from 9am 30 June 2026 until 5pm 28 July 2026.
Call for Sites 2026
As part of the early stages of plan preparation, the Council is conducting a Call for Sites which is open for a period of eight weeks, running from 9am 30 June 2026 until 5pm 25 August 2026.
Notice of Intention to Commence Local Plan Preparation
The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026
Date of Publication: 25 June 2026
In accordance with The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026, Part 4 Regulation 19, Horsham District Council ("the Council") hereby give notice of its intention to commence preparation of a new Local Plan.
The Local Plan will be known as 'Horsham District 2045'.
Horsham District 2045 will cover the current administrative area of Horsham District Council, excluding the land which lies within the South Downs National Park. This is shown on the map below:
As set out in the Local Plan Timetable which takes effect from 30 June 2026, the Council expects to formally start the 30-month plan preparation process on 1 November 2026.
The Local Plan Timetable extends beyond 1 April 2028 which is the proposed date for the anticipated Unitary Authorities covering West Sussex to formally come into effect. This means that the Council will commence preparation of the plan, but final adoption may need to be undertaken by the new unitary council that covers the Horsham District area.
Horsham District 2045 will not address matters in relation to waste and minerals, which remain the joint responsibility of West Sussex County Council and the South Downs National Park Authority.
A copy of the the plan-making timetable can be inspected below. Copies can also be made available for inspection at: Horsham District Council, Albery House, Springfield Road, Horsham RH12 2GB
Jane Eaton, Chief Executive
Horsham District Council, Albery House, Springifield Road, Horsham RH12 2GB
Telephone: 01403 215100 www.horsham.gov.uk
Horsham District 2025 Timetable
Pre-process
| Stage | Action | Indicative Period (Month / Year) |
|---|---|---|
| Getting Ready | Develop Project Management Process and structure, governance risk register and allocating of resources to project (including PID) | March 2026 - ongoing |
| Getting Ready | (Statutory) Notice of Intention to commence local plan preparation (Regulation 4(a)) | 30 June 2026 Deadline |
| Getting Ready | Notice of Scoping Consultation (Regulation 20(1b)) | 30 June 2026 |
| Getting Ready | Scoping Consultation Period (Regulation 4(c)) | 30 June 2026 - 28 July 2026 |
| Getting Ready | Call for Sites | 30 June 2026 - 25 August 2026 |
| Getting Ready | Gateway 1 (self-assessment) / Plan-making commencement / Readiness tracker to be published (Regulation 4(d) and 21(3)) | 31 October 2026 |
| Getting Ready | Publish summary of self-assessment (Regulation 21(3)) | 31 October 2026 |
Months 1 - 23
| Stage | Action | Indicative Period (Month / Year) |
|---|---|---|
| Plan Preparation | Prepare Vision and Strategy for consultation | October 2026 - May 2027 |
| Plan Preparation | Notice of Consultation on Plan Content and Evidence (Regulation 4(e) and 23(1)) | June 2027 |
| Plan Preparation | Public consultation (6 weeks) on Vision and Strategy (Regulation 4(f)) | June 2027 - July 2027 |
| Plan Preparaion | Publish summary of Plan Content and Evidence consultation (Regulation 24(3)) | July 2027 |
| Plan Preparation | Development of draft plan including responding to consultation and any further evidence gathering | July 2027 - August 2027 |
| Plan Preparation | Gateway 2 (Sent to Planning Inspectorate) (Regulation 4(g) and 26) | September 2027 (4 - 6 weeks) |
| N/A | Local Government Reorganisation in Sussex Vesting Day (Horsham District Council ceases to exist) | 1 April 2028 |
| Plan Preparation | Notice of Proposed Plan Consultation (Regulation 30(3)) | May 2028 |
| Plan Preparation | Public consultation (8 weeks) on Local Plan (Regulation 4(h and i) | May 2028 - June 2028 |
| Plan Preparation | Publish summary of Local Plan consultation (Regulation 30(3)) | June 2028 |
| Plan Preparation | Gateway 3 (Sent to Planning Inspectorate) (Regulation 4(j) and 31) | August 2028 - September 2028 |
Months 24 - 29
| Stage | Action | Indicative Period (Month / Year) |
|---|---|---|
| Examination | Plan Submission (Regulation 4(k)) | September 2028 |
| Examination | Independent Examination | October 2028 - March 2029 (Subject to passing assessment, otherwise paused for 6 months up to September 2029 |
Month 30
| Stage | Action | Indicative Period (Month / Year) |
|---|---|---|
| Adoption | Plan Adoption (Regulation 4(l)) | March 2029 (Subject to approval by full council) |
Horsham District 2045 Open Data
Horsham District Council publishes planning policy data in open, machine-readable formats in accordance with the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 and data standards published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
This page provides access to the Horsham District 2045 timetable and local plan data in comma seperate variable (CSV) format. The data is provided under the Gov.uk: Open Government Licence.
The CSV file contains the information in the timetable above and will be updated when changes have been made to the timetable and when milestones have been met.