Planning Policy and Heritage Newsletter

We are starting a review of the City Plan to be known as City Plan 2041. 

From 4 November to 20 January we will consult on Key Issues consultation that invites responses on important issues for the new Plan to address and possible options for doing so. 

We will contact everyone on our mailing list about the consultation once it starts. Following this, we expect to consult on a full draft of the new City Plan in later 2025.

We are publishing background evidence documents on our website when completed. Our Strategic Housing Market Assessment, Employment Land Study and Green Infrastructure Study have now been published.

Waste and Minerals Local Plan Partial Review We have been working with East Sussex County Council and the South Downs National Park Authority to revise some of the policies in our joint Waste and Minerals Local Plan. The Revised Policies will be adopted by Full Council in October. 

You can find more information on our joint consultation portal.

There are two areas in the city with Neighbourhood Plans that have been approved by residents in a referendum and adopted by the city council. These are:

• Hove station area
• Rottingdean Parish

The examination of the Brighton Marina Neighbourhood Plan has finished and the Examiner’s report has been received. It is likely that referendums for residents and businesses in the Neighbourhood Area will be held in February 2025.

West Saltdean Neighbourhood Forum and Coldean Neighbourhood Forum recently carried out consultation on their draft plans. View the latest progress on the two further neighbourhood areas designated.

We are starting to prepare a design code for the city centre. 

The code will set out rules to guide new development and improvements to streets and open spaces.

There will be 3 stages of consultation with the first stage being carried out spring 2025. More information and progress updates will be posted on our website during its preparation.

We are working to increase the amount of affordable housing that is built in the city. 

To do this, we are:

• preparing an Affordable Housing Planning Advice Note to update guidance on affordable housing policy requirements and to ensure delivery of quality affordable homes
• commissioning an Affordable Housing Viability Study to support City Plan 2041
• responding to the government’s recent consultation on National planning policy reforms to emphasise the need to support the delivery of more genuinely affordable housing

We have recently produced guidance that provides advice on installing energy efficiency measures in historic buildings. 

We have updated our Biodiversity Net Gain guidance to reflect the implementation of mandatory BNG.