Hastings Local Plan Pre-Submission Version 2023-2041 (Regulation 19) September 2026

Preamble Comment

What is this Document?

0.1This document is the Pre-Submission version of the Hastings Local Plan (the Plan) and is being published under Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended).

0.2The council has published this Plan in order to seek formal representations on its soundness and legal compliance. The Plan, evidence base and formal representations will be submitted to the Secretary of State, who will appoint an independent Planning Inspector to Examine the Plan.

0.3The purpose of Examining the Plan is to establish if the Plan forms a sound basis for development in the Borough over the period to 2041. Once adopted, the Plan will form part of the overall Development Plan for Hastings^[1].

Previous consultation and Council’s Responses to Comments made

0.4In February 2026 the council published the Draft Local Plan for consultation and received 2,292 comments, the majority of which related to sites allocated for future housing development.

0.5The council has carefully considered all comments received and made changes to the Plan as appropriate. Details of the main issues raised, along with the council’s response (including where changes to the Plan have been made) can be found in the Regulation 22 Statement available to view at hastings.gov.uk.

Commenting on the Proposed Submission Hastings Local Plan

0.6Unlike earlier rounds of consultation, where views were sought on all aspects of the Draft Plan, this time comments must specifically address whether the Plan is legally compliant (has it been prepared in accordance with legal and procedural requirements?) and whether it is sound. Representations must relate to one or more of the tests of soundness as outlined in Paragraph 36 of the National Planning Policy Framework (December 2024), repeated below as follows:

Local plans […] are examined to assess whether they have been prepared in accordance with legal and procedural requirements, and whether they are sound. Plans are ‘sound’ if they are:

1. Positively prepared – providing a strategy which, as a minimum, seeks to meet the area’s objectively assessed needs; and is informed by agreements with other authorities, so that unmet need from neighbouring areas is accommodated where it is practical to do so and is consistent with achieving sustainable development;
2. Justified – an appropriate strategy, taking into account the reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate evidence;
3. Effective – deliverable over the plan period, and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic matters that have been dealt with rather than deferred, as evidenced by the statement of common ground; and
4. Consistent with national policy – enabling the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in this Framework and other statements of national planning policy, where relevant.

0.7Formal representations, therefore, if objecting to any element of the Plan, must clearly state why the Plan is not legally compliant and/or sound, identify the specific soundness test which is being objected to, and if possible, explain what should be done in order to make the Plan sound.

0.8Formal representations can be submitted either through the council’s website or by sending completed response forms, available online, either by email, post or by hand. Our preference is for comments to be submitted online as this is the most efficient way to capture representations. A full list of options for responding to this consultation is set out below:

0.9The Plan is being published for a 6-week period for formal representations starting on 1 October 2026  and closing at 23:59 on 12 November 2026. Only representations received during these times will be accepted. Any representations received outside of these times will be rejected. The information you provide in your formal representation will be forwarded to the Independent Planning Inspector and will be made publicly available. All personal data, including telephone numbers, email addresses, postal addresses and signatures will be removed.

0.10In addition to responding on the soundness of the Plan, representations can also be made on the evidence base underpinning it, including for example the Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment (but only insofar as it relates to the legal compliance and/or soundness of the Plan). All evidence base, along with the Plan, can be found in the Core Document Library at hastings.gov.uk/localplan.

0.11For full details on how to make formal representations on the Proposed Submission Local Plan, please read the Statement of Representations Procedure available at the above web address.

Preparation of the Plan

0.12As shown in Table 1 below, the Proposed Submission Local Plan (Regulation 19) is just one stage in the process of preparing and consulting on the Plan, before it undergoes independent examination and is finally adopted.

Table 1: Timetable for the Production of the Local Plan (LDS July 2026)

The Plan’s Legal Status

0.13The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) provides guidance on the determination of applications for planning permission. With respect of Development Plan policies, the NPPF states that:

Local planning authorities may give weight to relevant policies in emerging plans according to:

1. the stage of preparation of the emerging plan (the more advanced its preparation, the greater the weight that may be given);
2. the extent to which there are unresolved objections to relevant policies (the less significant the unresolved objections, the greater the weight that may be given); and
3. the degree of consistency of the relevant policies in the emerging plan to this Framework (the closer the policies in the emerging plan to the policies in the Framework, the greater the weight that may be given)^[2].

0.14This version of the Plan has been published in accordance with Regulation 19, as such this Plan carries limited weight in decision making.

Next Steps

0.15Following the Proposed Submission period for formal representations, the council will Submit the Plan, along with all representations and supporting evidence documents, to the Secretary of State, who will appoint an independent Inspector to Examine the Plan, in order to determine its soundness and whether it has met the statutory legal requirements.

0.16The Inspector may suggest modifications be made to the Plan at the request of the council, in which case a further period of consultation on those modifications will take place. The Inspector will then issue their final report. Provided the Plan is found sound, the council may then Adopt the Plan, which will replace the current adopted Hastings Local Plan.

0.17Upon adoption of the Local Plan, this entire Preamble section will be deleted.

Figure 1: Key Diagram

Figure 2: Land at Breadsell.

Figure 3: Station Area, showing opportunity sites.

Figure 4: Hastings Central Plaza, showing opportunity sites

Figure 5: Hastings Central Regeneration Area

Figure 6: St Johns Road Regeneration Area

Figure 7: Density Zones within Hastings Borough

Figure 8: Land Adjacent to Sandrock Park, The Ridge.

Figure 9: Seaside Road, West St Leonards

Figure 10: Former Westerleigh School

Figure 11: Former West St Leonards Primary School.

Figure 12: Ore Valley (Former Power Station).

Figure 13: Former Post Office and University of Brighton building

Figure 14: Mayfield E, Bodiam Drive

Figure 15: Land at Rock Lane

Figure 16: Cinque Ports Way

Figure 17: Gambier House, 111 West Hill Road and West House, 115 West Hill Road

Figure 18: Land North-West of Winchelsea Lane

Figure 19: Land at Tilekiln Farm.

Figure 20: Former West Hill Road Reservoir

Figure 21: Land East of Rock Lane.

Figure 22: Land East of Beaneys Lane.

Figure 23: Former Convent of Holy Child Jesus, Magdalen Rd

Figure 24: Site of Four Courts, Stonehouse Drive

Figure 25: My Way Lodge, Ridge West

Figure 26: Land at Chiltern Drive

Figure 27: Land South of Crowhurst Road

Figure 28: Land at Tilekiln Lane

Figure 29: LIEA Locations

Figure 30: Queensway North, Queensway

Figure 31: Site PX, Churchfields Estate

Figure 32: NX2, Sidney Little Road, Churchfields Estate

Figure 33: NX3, Sidney Little Road, Churchfields Estate

Figure 34: Adjacent Unit C, 1-8 Brook Way

Figure 35: UK Power Networks, Hastings Main, The Ridge/ Ivyhouse Lane

Figure 36: Ivyhouse Lane, Northern Extension

Figure 37: Land at the junction of The Ridge West and Queensway

Figure 38: Marline Fields, Enviro21 Business Park, Land West of Queensway

Figure 39: Diagram of the 45 degrees test.

Figure 40: Hastings Green and Blue Infrastructure Indicative Core Network and Buffers

Figure 41: Development typologies for Flood Risk Assessments.

Figure 42: Coastal Change Management Area

Figure 43: Low Car Parking Area

Table 1: Timetable for the Production of the Local Plan (LDS July 2026)

Table 2: sources of new homes to 2041

Table 3: percentage tenure mix required for affordable housing.

Table 4: dwelling mix required for affordable/social rented housing.

Table 5: Station Area sites and anticipated uses

Table 6: Hastings Central Plaza sites and anticipated uses

Table 7: Opportunity Sites in Regeneration Area 3

Table 8: Site capable of delivering 20 dwellings or more

Table 9: Site capable of delivering fewer than 20 dwellings

Table 10: Gypsy and Traveller Permanent Pitch Sites

Table 11: List of SIEA/ LIEA

Table 12: Proposed allocations within SIEA1

Table 13: Proposed allocations within SIEA2

Table 14: Indicative planning obligations by threshold

Table 15: Quantity standards

Table 16: Quality and Value Standards

Table 17: Housing Trajectory