Local Plan 2040 Briefing Note [2024-02]

Overview

This report provides an update on the progress of Sevenoaks District Council's Local Plan, summarising the current status, upcoming timescales, and recent public consultation.

Local Plan Process & Timescales

The Local Development Scheme (agreed by SDC Cabinet July 2022) sets out the timetable and process for the Local Plan 2040, including public consultation stages and submission for examination in late 2024.

View online: www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/downloads/file/790/local_development_scheme

SDC aims to submit the Local Plan for independent examination in late 2024 or early 2025. Prior to this, Planning Policy is analysing feedback from the recent Regulation 18 consultation and will compile a high-level summary for the SDC Development and Conservation Advisory Committee on 26 March 2024. The report will be for information only, with no decisions on next steps or contents of the Plan at that meeting.

Site Allocation Methodology

Baseline sites refer to those assessed as potentially suitable in the Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) and initially proposed for allocation. The baseline sites include urban sites as well as sites within weakly-performing Green Belt land, adjacent to one of SDC’s eight top tier settlements (as defined by the Settlement Hierarchy).

The option question in the Regulation 18 (Part 2) consultation related to the consideration of additional sites within National landscapes (previously AONB), on top of those included in the baseline. The ‘none of the above’ selection therefore means none of the AONB options and does not specifically relate to baseline sites.

All comments on specific baseline sites will feed into final decisions on allocations to take forward in Plan 2040. Inclusion at this stage does not guarantee a site will remain allocated.

Both quantitative and qualitative consultation responses are being analysed, but Planning Policy has indicated that planning reasons and arguments are of greater importance for site decisions.

Next Steps

Following the Advisory Committee briefing, the Planning Policy team will further analyse qualitative consultation responses to inform Local Plan revisions ahead of Regulation 19. This proposed submission draft is expected to be presented to SDC Cabinet in July 2024 for approval to go to public consultation (Reglation 19 consultation) in Summer 2024. DGPC has already lodged concerns about the timing of the consultation over the August period when many parish councils traditionally do not meet.

Following Regulation 19 consultation, the Plan will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination in late 2024 or early 2025.

Conclusions & Recommendations

The Local Plan process currently remains on track against the timetable set out in the LDS. Residents and stakeholders should continue to engage with the process as it progresses to ensure views are heard. DGPC will continue to highlight timings to residents as the next stages are reached.

Full information on methodology and evidence behind the Local Plan process can be found at www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/plan2040 (in a considerable volume of documentation). SDC’s Planning Policy team is available to provide any clarifications as required (planning.policy@sevenoaks.gov.uk / 01732 227000).

Tracy Godden, Clerk & RFO Dunton Green Parish Council

09/02/2024