People have their say as South Downs Local Plan Review gets under way
August 19, 2024
Over 600 comments have been received so far to an initial consultation on the South Downs Local Plan Review.
Last month the National Park Authority launched a survey inviting feedback on the Local Plan Review and how people would like to be involved in it.
The adopted South Downs Local Plan, which says how and where development should take place in the National Park, is being reviewed to make sure it’s up to date and addresses important issues, including nature recovery, climate change and supporting local communities to thrive.
The current consultation on the scope of the plan and how people want to be involved closes on 16 September. There will be a further consultation on the first draft of the plan early next year.
As well as online, the National Park’s planning policy team have been promoting the survey at summer engagement events.
Claire Tester, Planning Policy Manager for the National Park Authority, said:
“We’ve launched this initial survey to help us prepare for a consultation on a first draft of the Plan early next year and get an idea of what people would like us to focus on. I’d like to thank everybody who has contributed so far and would encourage people to get involved before the survey closes in September.
“Among the respondents’ priorities so far have been biodiversity, cleaner rivers, landscape protection and tranquility.”
And Claire added: “There is much of our existing and award-winning Local Plan that we propose to keep, such as the landscape-led approach, ecosystem services that protect vital resources such as the aquifer that supplies drinking water to 1.2m people, as well as the strategy of a medium level of development dispersed across the National Park.
“The review will give us the opportunity to address issues, such as climate change and nature recovery, review development needs and provision figures, and allow us to address changes in national policy.”
Young people aged 13 to 25 are being invited to take part in the survey, with the chance to enter a prize draw for a £50 gift voucher.
Take part in the online survey here.
- The current Local Plan is available here: southdowns.gov.uk/planning-policy/south-downs-local-plan/local-plan/
- The South Downs National Park has one of the most unique built environments within a protected landscape in the UK. As Britain’s most populated National Park with over 113,000 residents, it spans 15 different local authority areas across three counties and has four bustling market towns. It boasts 167 conservation areas – more than any other National Park in the UK – as well as 18 distinctive landscape types, over 1,000 designated spaces for wildlife and well over 5,800 listed buildings. Dealing with around 5,000 planning cases a year, the National Park is one of the country’s top 30 busiest Planning Authorities.