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Planning Position Statement



Planning Position Statement

October 9, 2020

The SDNPA Planning Committee approved the Planning Position Statement Update (PPSU) on 14 April 2022.

The PPSU seeks to deliver on the single set of high-level targets for our Corporate Plan namely nature recovery, climate action and a national park for all.

This is now a material consideration in the determination of planning applications both by the SDNPA and the host authorities.

The full Planning Position Statement can be read here.

There are some specific measures that I would like to flag up to you:

  • Paragraphs 1.8-1.9:  In regard to small and micro businesses in farming, forestry and tourism the SDNPA will provide free pre-application advice (one meeting followed up with written advice) for some categories of development linked to the corporate priorities e.g. small scale renewable energy projects.  There will shortly be a tick box for ‘exemption from fees’ that will require a simple justification from the applicant. 
  • Paragraph 1.12: Continue to show temporary flexibility in regard to marketing requirements in Policies SD35:  Employment Land, SD36:  Town & Village Centres and SD37 Development in Town & Village Centres.
  • Paragraph 1.13:  Temporarily and as a matter of discretion allow up to twenty per cent of the new homes on rural exception sites to be open market housing in order to subsidise new affordable homes.  The tenure of new affordable homes on rural exception sites should respond to the needs of the local community and the focus will usually be social rented. The First Homes requirement does not apply to Rural Exception Sites. Any new rural exception site should be located within walking distance of local facilities and not in isolated rural locations remote from any settlements.

Any queries on the PPSU should be sent to planningpolicy@southdowns.gov.uk