1 Introduction

Background and context

1.1 Hastings Borough Council is in the process of producing a series of documents that will guide the future planning of the town. Together, these documents will form the new Hastings Local Plan (formerly called the Local Development Framework).

1.2 We are already well on our way to completing the Hastings Planning Strategy (formerly called the Core Strategy), which provides a long-term plan to deliver regeneration and sustainable growth in the town over the next 15 years. Once adopted, the Planning Strategy will form a key part of the Local Plan.

1.3 This document is the Development Management Plan – consultation document. This is the second key document prepared as part of the Local Plan process. Its role is to set out clear policies to help shape the design of construction of new development, and to allocate sites to deliver the overarching policies in the Planning Strategy. It therefore shares the same strategic objectives:

Objective 1: Achieve and sustain a thriving economy

Objective 2: Ensure everyone has the opportunity to live in a decent home, which they can afford, in a community in which they want to live

Objective 3: Safeguard and improve the town’s environment

Objective 4: Addressing the impacts of climate change

Objective 5: Supporting sustainable communities

Objective 6: Provision of an efficient and effective transport system

Objective 7: Making best use of the Seafront and promoting tourism

What stage are we at?

1.4 This is the first official consultation stage in the preparation of the Development Management Plan, as required by Regulation 25 of the Town & Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004 (as amended). This consultation document contains the basis or ‘rough draft’ of suggested policies and options to help facilitate debate, and will be developed further, into a final draft, following this consultation.

1.5 This consultation document has been prepared following earlier public consultation as part of the “Big Map” exercise in 2010. The Big Map consultation was an informal stage in the preparation of the Plan, which helped to identify issues and opportunities concerned with potential sites for development in the town. A report on how the consultation was undertake and the comments received is available at www.hastings.gov.uk/environment_planning/planning/local_development_framework/ldf_documents/#dpd_report

Structure of this document

1.6 This document is set out in two distinct parts:

Part A - General guidance

1.7 The first part sets out options for general guidance polices to be used in the planning application process, to shape the design and construction of new developments. These include the following policy areas:

• General guidance - the issues that arise when assessing planning applications – covering design, access, ground conditions and more
• Housing and the community – covering issues like the conversion of houses
• The historic and natural environment – defining areas in the town for specific protection for things like nature conservation
• The economy – helping to identify and protect retail areas, employment sites and tourist areas

1.8 When completing your response form, you are encouraged to consider which of the options presented are the most appropriate, and to explain the reasons why.

Part B - Site allocations

1.9 The second part of the document sets out potential development sites that have been identified to meet our overall housing and employment needs. These are organised by planning focus area¹, and consider allocations for housing, employment and mixed use sites only.

1.10 For each site, we have presented the following information

• A site location plan
• Suggested use
• Planning status
• Area
• Possible capacity
• Assessment summary
• Analysis of previous comments
• Policies that apply

1.11 Various maps accompany the consultation document, showing the proposed sites on a town-wide basis and in their individual planning focus areas, as well the protective designations and allocations across the town as a whole. These will combine to form a Proposals Map in the final version of the Development Management Plan, once prepared.

1.12 When completing your response form, please let us know whether you support the allocation of any particular site, and the reasons why. If there is any information you think we may have missed, please let us know using the comments box on the response form or the relevant section of the online system.

The consultation – how you can get involved

1.13 Although a lot of work has already been carried out to prepare this consultation draft of the Development Management Plan, it is not the Council’s final view of what the Plan should contain. This is your opportunity to influence the sites that should be allocated or protected for different land sues, and shape the policies that should be used in the planning application process to manage this development.

1.14 This consultation is running for a period of 12 weeks, from 3 February – 27 April 2012. You can make your comments at any point during this period, using the following methods:

1.15 Online - The easiest way to make your comments is online. Visit our website at www.hastings.gov.uk/consultations and follow the links provided.

1.16 Paper forms – paper copies of our response form are available from our offices, or can be downloaded from the website using the address above.

1.17 Responses can also be submitted by letter or email, using the following contact details:

Development Management Plan consultation
Planning Policy
Upper Ground Floor, Aquila House
Hastings
East Sussex
TN34 3UY

Email: fplanning@hastings.gov.uk

1.18 You can also post comments on Facebook, or contact us through Twitter, although these comments will not be taken forward as formal representations. We will make sure we reply to any queries posted this way:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ShapingHastings
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shapinghastings

1.19 All comments must be submitted by 4pm on Friday 27 April 2012.

The evidence base and supporting documents

1.20 In preparing the Development Management Plan, we have to prepare several supporting documents to demonstrate how the principles of sustainability and equality have been taken into account in the development of the final version of the Plan. This will include a Sustainability Appraisal Report and an Equalities Impact Assessment. It is also important that we have a substantial and robust evidence base to support the policies presented in the final plan.

1,21 Further information about the Sustainability Appraisal and Equalities Impact Assessment for the Development Management Plan will be posted on our website when available. However, please keep an eye on our evidence base pages which are updated regularly - www.hastings.gov.uk/environment_planning/planning/local_development_framework/evidence_base/.

Next steps

1.22 Following this consultation, we will analyse all the comments received and where appropriate, incorporate them into the final draft of the Development Management Plan (known as the “Proposed Submission version). Feedback will be provided to all those who commented on this consultation draft, before the revised version is published.

1.23 The final draft, or Proposed Submission Development Management Plan will be subject to a further round of public consultation, where we will be inviting “formal” representations that will be submitted to an independent Planning Inspector, along with the Development Management Plan for Examination in Public. However, it may be necessary to undertake an additional more limited scale consultation before the Proposed Submission stage if entirely new issues or proposals arise from the current consultation.

The timetable for this is as follows:

• May to September – analysis of comments received and opportunity for further limited consultation if required
• October to December 2012 – public consultation on the final draft of the Development Management Plan
• March 2013 - Submission to the Secretary of State
• July 2013 - Examination in public
• December 2013 - Adoption.

1.25 Full details about the timetable we are working to in preparing the Local Plan as a whole, are available on our website at www.hastings.gov.uk/environment_planning/planning/local_development_framework/ldf_explained/#lds

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¹ Planning focus areas were introduced by the Planning Strategy. They are areas where there is an identifiable community or where landscape or function means that they make a logical area for area-based planning