Update on the South Downs land availability assessment

Update on the South Downs land availability assessment

August 16, 2023

Around 300 locations were submitted to the Authority’s “Call for Sites” exercise and an update is expected to be published this autumn.

Last summer the Authority launched a process whereby landowners could submit potential sites for housing, employment, renewable energy, care facilities, green spaces and biodiversity net gain, among others.

Around 300 sites were newly submitted or resubmitted to the Call for Sites, and approximately 540 sites in the previous Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment are also being reviewed.

Kate Stuart, Planning Policy Lead, explained: “This is part of the initial phase of evidence gathering for the Local Plan Review.

“These sites are now being assessed as part of the Land Availability Assessment (LAA) along with other sites known to the Authority, including reviewing sites previously considered.

“The LAA process does not allocate sites. However, it will identify sites which have ‘potential’ for further consideration through a range of technical work that will help inform future decisions on allocations in the Local Plan Review.”

The Policy Team are currently working on site assessments, combing desktop evidence and carrying out site visits to understand potential constraints and opportunities, such as access, heritage and biodiversity , and an assessment of how any development could impact on or enhance the landscape.

Kate added: “We expect to publish our initial conclusions in the coming months.”