Local Plan Progressing

ROCHFORD District Council’s Local Plan continues to progress, Planning Policy Committee have heard, with a wide-ranging package of technical evidence due to complete over the summer ahead of a further public consultation this autumn.
The committee received a routine progress report setting out where work stands on the new Local Plan, which will guide development across the district up to 2043.
A council statement said: “A Local Plan is a comprehensive planning policy document which gives local areas significantly more control over what is built on their patch.
“Rochford currently has no up to date Local Plan due to a combination of previous decision making and seismic Government changes, including doubling the number of homes the district is expected to create per year, that have delayed its progress. This reduces the council’s legal power to resist inappropriate development.
“The Plan is now on track and the Government has set a submission deadline of 31 December 2026. If this is not met, the Government can step in or even remove local democratic planning powers, making all decisions remotely from Whitehall.
“Evidence is on track.
“A wide range of technical studies underpin the Local Plan, covering areas such as transport, flooding, water supply, wildlife sites, the Green Belt, heritage and playing pitches. Work to finalise these studies is underway, with completion expected by the end of August.
“This evidence has three jobs. It must inform the plan making process; give residents, councillors and consultees the information they need to have confidence in the Plan; and stand up to independent scrutiny at examination by a Planning Inspector.
“Timetable.
“A report noted by the committee confirmed that the evidence base and draft (‘Regulation 19’) Local Plan will go to all councillors for approval at a full council meeting ahead of a public consultation this autumn. An exact date for that consultation will be published by the council once the evidence is complete.”
Coun Neil Hookway, Chair of the Planning Policy Committee, said: “Residents in this district know Rochford inside out, and they rightly expect to see us working for them.
“Once the remaining items in the evidence base are finished, checked and published, we’ll flag them to local people to read before the consultation begins. We’ll keep being upfront about exactly where things stand at every stage.
“The Local Plan process hasn’t been ideal over the past years, but getting it in place by the December deadline is the best way we can now protect Rochford from inappropriate development.”
The council statement continued: “Elected councillors will oversee Land North of Southend.
“The committee also confirmed its nominated councillors to the Rochford and Southend Member Liaison Group. Set up in 2025, this group is made up of three Members from each council, who oversee a separate, jointly commissioned study into potential strategic growth options to the north of Southend and south of Rochford.
“This group does not make decisions on the Local Plan and has no role in site allocations.
“Get involved.
“The next major opportunity for residents to have their say will be the Regulation 19 consultation this autumn – the final formal stage before the plan goes to the Inspector. There may be another consultation next summer if the Inspector requests changes, which is usual. Residents can sign up to the Rooted in Rochford e-newsletter for updates by ticking the ‘planning’ box at www.rochford.gov.uk/tellmemore.”
Picture: Coun Neil Hookway, Chair of the Planning Policy Committee at Rochford District Council
Read more
Visit: https://leigh-on-sea.news
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leighonsea.news
X : @leighonsea_news
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leighonsea.news
Contact us: https://leigh-on-sea.news/contact-us
Email: [email protected]