Draft South Downs National Park local plan out for consultation

New policies that set the course for development across one of the largest planning authority areas in England are out for consultation now the South Downs National Park Authority has published its so-called preferred options strategy.

The proposed local plan for the park, which covers large parts of Hampshire, East and West Sussex, seeks to put landscapes first while still serving the needs of communities and the local economy.

When the plan is adopted (expected to be in 2017) it will be the first time that a single set of planning policies have been applied across the 1,600 square kilometres area of the UK’s newest national park.

Trevor Beattie, the authority’s chief executive, said: “Our landscapes are the reason the South Downs became a National Park so they must sit at the heart of every planning decision we make.”

The strategy allowed for 4,596 new homes over the next 17 years. Of those, 1,840 would be affordable. The plan identifies 20 potential sites for new development including three strategic brownfield sites: Shoreham Cement Works in Upper Beeding, the former Syngenta site in Fernhurst, and the North Street Quarter and Eastgate area of Lewes.

Significant new housing development is expected with 700 homes in Petersfield (Hampshire), some 835 homes in Lewes (East Sussex) and around 150 homes in Petworth (West Sussex).

View more information on the consultation

Roger Milne