Horsham District Local Plan timetable update

The Council is in the process of preparing a Local Plan that sets out planning policies and proposals to guide development in the District up to 2038. The Council is required to prepare a Local Plan by law.

Housing targets and development policies

The Local Plan will set out how we can meet Government requirements for housing growth. It will also outline where new schools, road upgrades and health provision will need to be provided to support that, as well as including policies to address the causes and potential impacts of climate change.

The current housing targets set by Government sets a minimum target for our District of at least 897 new homes each year. In addition, we are obliged to see if we can meet the housing needs from surrounding areas such as Crawley. This is a very difficult challenge.

What has happened so far

Last year we published for consultation the first draft of the Horsham District Local Plan 2019-2036. Since then we have been working hard to assess the feedback to that consultation, gathering additional evidence where required.

Due to the very difficult decisions that must be made about the level of housing, Council Members have explored every avenue to limit the pressure for housing development in the District. They have sought expert advice in deciding how best the Plan can meet the Government’s allocated building numbers whilst protecting our thriving District.

The next steps

The revised Local Plan will be published, in accordance with planning legislation, in a document known as the Regulation 19 Local Plan.

We will be seeking your views on whether the Local Plan meets the nationally set planning ‘tests’ which will then be considered by an independent planning Inspector.

Our Pre-Submission Local Plan will be available to view and for comment online from early September 2021.

Unless prevented by Covid-19 restrictions, reference copies will also be placed in local libraries.