Positive Step Forward for Adur Local Plan

A blueprint to guide development in Adur aimed at building hundreds of homes while protecting the environment has taken another step forward.

More than 1,000 people have had their say in the drawing up of the Adur Local Plan so far.

Adur District Council used these comments to help produce a blueprint aimed at balancing the need to build new homes and employment space while protecting the environment.

After submitting it to the government, the local authority received a letter this week informing it that the Government appointed Planning Inspector had produced his preliminary findings, which supported much of the work.

Local authority experts will now look at the feedback and consult on the Inspector’s suggested modifications before submitting a final plan.

The hope is that the Local Plan will be approved and fully adopted by the end of this year.

Martin Randall, Adur & Worthing Councils’ Director for the Economy, said:

“It’s always tricky to get the balance right when it comes to development.

“I’m pleased that the Inspector has recognised the local authority’s commitment to supporting the creation of new homes and workplaces while protecting the special and unique environment across the Adur District.”

The Local Plan will be used by the Council’s planning team to guide development across the area until 2032.

Key targets in the Plan include building approximately 3,700 homes and a minimum of 41,000 square metres of employment-generating floor space.

Within the letter sent this week, inspector David Hogger recommended a number of alterations to the Local Plan.

But the Inspector’s modifications did not refer to the allocation of any other land for development, apart from the sites already proposed by the Plan .

This means sites such as the Shoreham Gateway, near the A27 flyover; Mill Hill in Shoreham; and Old Salts Farm and New Salts Farm, both in Lancing, are not earmarked as areas to build on.

While the Plan has not been officially adopted yet, it has some weight in guiding decisions made by the local authority’s planning department.

James Appleton, Adur and Worthing Councils’ Head of Planning and Development said:

“It is very positive to hear that the Planning Inspector has supported the Council's future strategy for meeting development needs.  

"Although a number of modifications have been recommended to address issues raised by the Inspector and other interested parties at the Examination in Public, the overall approach to accommodating extra homes and jobs has been endorsed.

"Consultation on the main modifications to the Plan will be undertaken during the summer so that the Inspector can complete his final report and the Council can hopefully move to adopt the Plan later in the year.”