Statement of Community Involvement 2025 Consultation

Ends on 10 September 2025 (28 days remaining)

2. What are Local Development Plans Comment

2.1. Having a Local Plan in place and keeping it up to date is legal requirement. The "development plan" is central to the planning system. Such plans set out the policies that guide development over a 15–20-year period. Planning decisions must be taken in line with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The development plan helps frame decisions taken by the council and also guides the plans of a wide range of other public and private bodies including statutory and private infrastructure providers.

2.2. National legislation and guidance sets out what shapes the contents and preparation of development plans. This includes the need for a vision and spatial strategy for the future development of the plan area, addressing needs and opportunities in relation to housing, the economy, community facilities and infrastructure as well as the basis for conserving and enhancing the natural and historic environment, mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change, and achieving well designed places. Involvement of a wide range of local people, organisations and companies is necessary to support and deliver these outcomes.

2.3. Local Plans have to be "evidence-led." Part of this evidence comes from consultation responses and outcomes.

2.4. Several documents together form the current ("adopted) Local Development Plan. The Hastings Local Development Scheme (LDS) sets out local development documents which are current ("adopted") and where and when it is intended to review or replace these documents.

2.5. The council is renewing and will be replacing the adopted Local Development Plan. This is explained further below. Once adopted, the new Local Plan will replace the existing Local Plan. The council attaches great importance to preparing a new Local Plan which is soundly based on what is needed to secure the sustainable future of Hastings as place for everyone to live, work and visit as is achievable within the planning system and for this to express community preference.

2.6. The current adopted Hastings Local Plan documents, taken as a whole, complemented the Hastings Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) 2009-2026. The SCS has now been replaced by the Corporate Plan 2025-2030 This sets out the council's long-term plans to keep improving the economic, social and environmental well-being of the town. The new Local Plan will support the delivery of the land-use elements of the Corporate Plan 2025.

The Existing Development Plan for Hastings (2011-2028) Comment

2.7. The following documents make up the current Local Development Plan:

2.8. A Sustainability Appraisal (incorporating the requirements of Strategic Environmental Assessment) accompanies the Planning Strategy and the Development Management Plan to ensure the social, environmental, and economic effects of each plan have been taken into account in its development.

Waste and Minerals Plans Comment

2.9. ESCC is responsible for the production of the Waste and Minerals Local Plan for East Sussex, which sets out strategic policy decisions covering waste and minerals. Their engagement activity is governed by ESCC's own SCI.

Supplementary Planning Documents and Local Plan Monitoring Comment

2.10. In addition to Local Development Documents there are Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs). SPDs build upon and provide more detailed advice or guidance on policies in an adopted local plan. SPDs are not part of the development plan and do not introduce new planning policies into the development plan. They are however a material consideration in decision-making.

2.11. In the preparation of SPDs there will be public consultation carried out guided by and in accordance with the council's SCI and the following regulations.

The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012

2.12. Current SPDs and other documents are relevant as material considerations for the determination of planning decisions.

Adopted guidance for planning in Hastings

2.13. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act (LURA) 2023 provides for new style Supplementary Documents but the regulations and guidance for such documents are not yet available.

2.14. The Local Plan Monitoring Report is prepared annually and includes an update on Local Plan progress and the implementation of policies. .

Corporate Plan 2025-2030 Comment

2.15. The new Local Plan will reflect on the key issues and priorities identified in the Corporate Plan 2025-2030 where they are relevant to spatial planning. The five principles identified, with associated themes and ambitions, are to ensure that Hastings:

has a financially stable council that delivers high quality, responsive services in co-operation with local people;
is tackling homelessness and ensuring good quality housing;
is tackling poverty and inequality;
takes action to tackle the climate and nature crisis and encourages and supports pride of place in our town.

2.16. The Corporate Plan 2025 notes the proposed changes to Local Government in East Sussex including Hastings Borough being proposed in the government's latest plans for Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). At the time of drafting this document such matters are currently under consultation. The Corporate Plan 2025 emphasises how we will work with others in the public, private and voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors for us to:

create thriving, healthy, and safe communities who are proud of their town with access to
secure, affordable, warm, low energy and adaptable housing;
take action to meet the challenges of the climate emergency and making space for nature;
build an inclusive and prosperous local economy which ensures that local people and the local economy are placed at the centre of the way the council operates, and the way we work with our partners;
utilising our unique arts, music, historic assets, and natural beauty to showcase our town as a destination.

A New Local Plan for Hastings Comment

2.17. Plans need to be kept up to date. It is a legal requirement that the council must consider at least every five years whether it is appropriate to revise a current Plan and take steps to have this revised plan in place if circumstances have changed. Government guidance mentions for example when new housing targets for an area have been produced. This is the case with Hastings.

2.18. The evidence which is used to substantiate the policies and proposals of the new emerging Local Plan will be made available for comment and consultation in accordance with this SCI. The current published evidence is available, and it is expected that further studies and explanatory topic papers and other relevant material will be made publicly available through the stages of the plan making process.

Duty to cooperate Comment

2.19. Engagement with neighbouring authorities and other key partners is important in addressing strategic planning issues that cross administrative boundaries. This is referred to as the "Duty to Cooperate." The Localism Act (2011) places a 'Duty to Cooperate' (DtC) on local authorities and a number of other public bodies. It requires on-going, constructive, and effective engagement to development strategic policies and to consider joint approaches to plan making.

2.20. Duty to Cooperate will be one of the first issues that will be assessed when we submit our Local Plan to the Secretary of State for Examination. As part of the DtC process, we are required to produce a written record of progress made during the process of planning for strategic cross-boundary matters. These are known as Statement of Common Ground. We will meet our DtC requirement through regular engagement with our partners and will publish SoCG as they are prepared and finalised for the later stages of plan production.

2.21. The DtC applies to the following bodies:

Neighbouring local authorities;
The Environment Agency;
Historic England;
Natural England;
The Civil Aviation Authority;
Homes England;
NHS;
The Office of Rail Regulation;
National Highways Agency;
The Marine Management Organisation;
Local Nature Partnerships
Other statutory organisations as set out in regulations

2.22. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) defines the issues that require cooperation as:

The homes and jobs needed in the area;
The provision of retail, leisure and other commercial development;
The provision of infrastructure for transport, telecommunications, waste management, water supply, wastewater, flood risk and the provision of minerals and energy (including heat);
The provision of health, security, community and cultural infrastructure and other local facilities; and
Climate change mitigation and adaptation, conservation, and enhancement of the natural and historic environment, including landscape.

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