Call for Sites launched by South Downs National Park Authority

August 10, 2022

The South Downs National Park Authority is offering an opportunity for individuals, landowners and developers to put forward sites for potential development.

The “Call for Sites” launches today as the National Park Authority undertakes a review of its Local Plan – a process that is required by law to ensure the Local Plan is up-to-date.

Potential sites can be put forward for consideration for the following range of uses:

Housing includes new homes, 100% affordable housing, specialised care, for example, for older persons, self and custom-build homes
Economic development, including offices, manufacturing and warehousing
Renewable energy
Gypsy & Traveller, and travelling showpeople sites
Biodiversity net gain (where the natural environment is improved) and nutrient offsetting sites.

The National Park Authority is also looking for nominations for “Local Green Spaces”, which local communities think are demonstrably special and should be protected from development. The Local Plan and neighbourhood plans already have a number of designated Local Green Spaces, but communities are being invited to nominate more sites for consideration.

The call-out runs until 28 September.

Lucy Howard, Planning Policy Manager for the National Park Authority, said: “We’re launching our Call for Sites as part of the Local Plan Review, which Government requires us to do every five years.

“It’s important to say this is not just about housing. We’re asking people to put forward sites for a whole range of uses. Just because a site is put forward does not mean it will be allocated and, of course, landscape will always come first in our appraisal.

“This Call for Sites is a key aspect of the Local Plan Review, which is a detailed planning process that is likely to take up to three years. It’s crucial we keep the Local Plan up-to-date otherwise the National Park would be more vulnerable to speculative developments that haven’t been properly consulted on. This will be a review, rather than a brand new plan, and we will be keeping our award-winning landscape-led approach.”

Following this summer’s general call-out, the Authority will be carrying out a park-wide Land Availability Assessment in the autumn and winter. This will involve looking at the suitability of all the submitted sites.

Lucy added: “We’re working very closely with parish and town councils across the National Park, as well as other key partners, to look for new development sites to meet local need without adversely impacting on the landscape of the National Park.”

Please visit www.southdowns.gov.uk/CallForSites2022 to submit a site to the National Park Authority by midnight on 28 September. To nominate a Local Green Space visit www.southdowns.gov.uk/south-downs-local-plan-review/call-for-local-green-spaces-2022/

To see some frequently asked questions about the Call for Sites and Local Plan Review click here.

In 2019 the National Park Authority won a prestigious award from the Royal Town Planning Institute for the environmental excellence of the South Downs Local Plan.
To see the Local Plan visit: southdowns.gov.uk/planning-policy/south-downs-local-plan/
The Local Plan Review gives the opportunity to finetune the Plan to ensure its delivering the most for climate action, nature recovery and a National Park for all.
The draft Local Plan Review will go through two rounds of public consultation and will then need to undergo examination by the Government’s Planning Inspectorate. It’s hoped the Local Plan Review will be completed by 2025 when the new document is formally adopted.