The City Plan Part One was adopted in March 2016 The City Plan Part One will help to deliver a number of priorities in the city around employment and training, retail, travel, housing, climate change, design, good public realm, open space and community safety.
Work has started on the preparation of the City Plan Part Two which will contain the remaining development policies and site allocations. A Scoping Report was published for consultation in June 2016.
An updated Statement of Community Involvement was adopted in March 2015. This document sets the councils approach to consultation on development plan and supplementary planning documents as well as the approach to consulting on planning applications.
Rates of housing delivery in the city are now improving following the impacts of economic recession and the housing market downturn Whilst the availability of development finance and funding has impacted on the number of major developments there are signs of improvement with a number of major schemes approved in recent years and a number in the pipeline.
Various planning briefs, supplementary planning guidance and development plan documents have been prepared to help deliver key development sites across the city. A revised draft Shoreham Harbour Joint Area Action Plan was published for consultation in November 2016. A draft Supplementary Planning Guidance for Toads Hole Valley was published for consultation in April 2016 a significant strategic site for the city.
In light of the improved economic conditions the council has removed the temporary ‘recession’ measures and regularly review s106 developer contributions technical guidance to enable appropriate development to come forward.
The Council is assessing the potential for introducing a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and work commenced in September 2016 with an outline timetable currently set out for adoption by 2018. CIL is a mechanism introduced by the Government, whereby local authorities are allowed to raise funds from developers undertaking new building projects in their area to be used on a wide range of needed infrastructure resulting from development. It is possible that CIL may be replaced by a Local Infrastructure Tariff and the government intends to clarify this in Autumn 2017.
An updated Parking Standards (SPD) has been adopted to provide updated, clear information and guidance to ensure the right level of parking for developments in different locations across the city. A Shoreham Harbour Flood Risk Management Guide SPD was adopted in 2015.
To avoid further increases in concentrations of student housing in certain city streets, the council is positively managing – through the use of an Article 4 direction - the location of new HMOs in order to create sustainable, healthy and inclusive communities. The City Plan Part One encourages and manages development of new purpose built student accommodation.
The Localism Act 2011 introduced Neighbourhood Planning whereby town and parish councils or designated 'neighbourhood forums' prepare and agree a land use plan for their neighbourhood. Four neighbourhood areas have been designated, one of which was designated a Business area. Four Neighbourhood Forums have been designated and the four neighbourhood communities ( Rottingdean Parish, Hove Station, Hove Park and Brighton Marina) have indicated an intent to produce a Neighbourhood Development Plan. None yet have been subject to formal pre-submission consultation.
Following the introduction by the government of a ‘duty to cooperate’, the council has been proactively working with neighbouring local authorities to establish mechanisms to address and plan for strategic priorities across boundaries. This has included a review of the Local Strategy Statement for the Coastal West Sussex and Greater Brighton Area.
The South Downs National Park Authority is now the planning authority for the administrative area of Brighton & Hove that falls within the National Park. A review has been undertaken of the five ‘downland village’ Conservation Areas.
An updated Local List was adopted on June 2015.
A Character Statement for the Old Town Conservation Area was adopted in March 2017.