Local Plan review information
Leader of the Council, Cllr Matt Stanley is sharing some information about the Local Plan:
“At the Full council meeting on 19 July, councillors discussed and agreed that the Local Plan would be reviewed. This was a big decision to make and prompted some interesting debate. We know that not everyone is aware of, or understand the Local Plan, so we thought we would provide some information about what a Local Plan review means. We will continue to provide updates as the process continues.”
What is the Local Plan?
It is a document that sets out how development, including housing, business construction and infrastructure (roads, facilities, etc.) can benefit the area the council is responsible for. Central government guidance tells us how we should approach a Local Plan and provides information on how we should address issues such as housing numbers, flooding and employment.
Why are we doing a review?
It is important to plan for the future of the area, to make sure the necessary infrastructure is in place and that we can provide homes and work for people. It is also vital that we protect important open spaces and address climate change and environmental impact.
What does a review involve?
We will start to identify key issues affecting Arun, our residents and businesses, and then look at the options available to address those issues. We will gather evidence about our future needs and consult with the public and other organisations who provide the infrastructure we rely on. We will also talk to partners who have the interests of our environment at heart.
How long will it take?
This is hard to specify, but we think it will take a minimum of two years to gather and produce the information needed to create a new Local Plan, which we will then consult on. This will then be assessed and analysed by an independent planning inspector.
Who is involved?
Everyone. As a council, we are responsible for producing the content of a reviewed Local Plan. We will encourage as many people and organisations as possible to share their views via the correct channels when we get to the consultation stages. Councillors will review progress and give appropriate direction throughout the process.
What does this mean for you?
This will largely depend on where in the district you live and work. Our aim is to provide quality, appropriate and environmentally responsible homes. That may affect how Arun looks now. Changes to infrastructure and landscape are inevitable, but we will do our very best to minimise the impact.
Why are we doing this now?
Our current Local Plan is five years old and based on government guidance, it is time to review and update our Plan
Is this expensive?
Yes. Collecting evidence is not a cheap exercise. Any project of this size will have cost attached to it. It is important that if we want to shape the future of Arun ourselves rather than development happening in a haphazard way, we need to invest the time, effort and money.