Image: South Downs National Park

Making sense of Local Plans

Baffled by the fact that Lewes is being invited to consultations on not one but TWO Local Plans this month? Don’t understand what a Local Plan is or what you should be commenting on? Then read on as local planning specialist Andrew Simpson explains all. 

We are living in a period when Local Plans are assuming more significance than ever before, especially with our current government vowing to overhaul the planning rules in order to reach its target of 1.5m new homes by the end of this Parliament.

Here in Lewes District, we are currently in the midst of two Local Plan consultations:

  • Lewes District Council’s consultation runs from 4 January to 28 February. The website can be found at this link
  • Also, the South Downs National Park consultation runs from 20 January to 17 March. The website can be found at this link

The National Park is holding two in-person consultation meetings in Lewes:  Wednesday 5 February at 6.30pm in Lewes Town Hall, Fisher Street, Lewes BN7 2QS and Saturday 15 February 1.30-4pm at Cliffe Hall, 28 Cliffe High Street.  The 5 February event will also include the Lewes District Local Plan.

Which Local Plan should I be commenting on?

Lewes town is covered by the South Downs National Park Local Plan, as the town is in the National Park.  Lewes District Council’s plan covers the coastal strip and the Wealden Villages which are all outside the National Park (see map below).  So, if you want to focus on what’s being proposed for the town of Lewes (and the wider National Park), stick to the National Park consultation; if you want to consider the future of the Havens and the villages, you will have to look at the LDC consultation. The map should help you get your bearings.

So, what is a Local Plan? 

A Local Plan is the legal policy framework that guides all development in an area. Quite simply, all planning applications are required to conform to an area’s Local Plan UNLESS there are very good reasons not to. So commenting on a Local Plan is the most effective way to guide future development in the direction you want it to go.

Local Plans are supposed to be updated every five years. They are required to provide for sufficient development to meet the growing needs of the population for housing and employment and provision for local spaces. They should also help to safeguard the environment and providing for the wider needs of the communities in the area – for example, for open spaces and leisure activities. 

What’s key is that the Local Plan has to be drawn up in consultation with the local community.  The consultation process is happening in two phases: the current phase (Regulation 18) is seeking broad opinions on draft policies; the next phase (Regulation 19), which will happen in early 2026, will seek more detailed comment on final draft policies which should reflect the comments gathered in the first phase.  So now is the time to have your voice heard!

And where do Neighbourhood Plans fit in?

Neighbourhood Plans can also be part of the Local Plan and provide highly detailed, community-led guidance for a specific neighbourhood within that broader framework.  Neighbourhood plans must generally conform with the strategic priorities of the Local Plan. In the case of Lewes Town, the Town Council produced a Neighbourhood Plan in April 2019. To add to the fun, the Lewes Neighbourhood Plan is also subject to review during the consultation process on the wider South Downs National Park Local Plan.

How can Local Plans help with environmental action?

For those of us concerned about climate change, the nature crisis or the housing crisis, Local Plans are critical documents.  They determine how all development in our part of the world will be done in the coming years.

For instance, the South Downs National Park consultation document is proposing that the whole County Hall site in Lewes and some of the land at East Sussex College are both put forward for major housing development.

That would go a long way to meeting the housing needs of the town but only if it’s done in a way that is sustainable and affordable. So now is the opportunity to make these points loud and clear. 

The South Downs National Park consultation document also contains a range of proposed policies on nature recovery and climate action, areas in which Lewes Climate Hub supporters have a great deal of knowledge and expertise that should be shared with the National Park as part of the consultation process.

Which bits of the Local Plan should I focus on?

And that point about knowledge and expertise is key. Because Local Plans cover so many aspects of development – and run to hundreds of pages – they can feel daunting to comment on. So it can be more practical to focus on those areas that feel most important to you – whether that’s affordable housing, nature recovery and preserving green spaces, or the infrastructure for sustainable travel like walking and cycling. If you belong to a specific community interest group, it’s possible to comment on a Local Plan collectively.

Finally, don’t be distracted by the local government reorganisation being proposed by the Labour Government, which could see our District Council being absorbed into our County Council.  The South Downs National Park will remain as our Local Planning Authority.  If Lewes District Council is taken into a wider East Sussex unitary authority, its Local Plan will go with it. 

So, now is the time to focus on the plan policies.  Happy consulting!

Andrew Simpson will be at the Lewes Climate Hub Coffee Morning on Wednesday 5 February to discuss Local Plans and how to comment on them, 11am and 12.30pm at Lewes House, 32 High Street, Lewes, BN7 2LU