Local Plan Update

The adopted Arun Local Plan 2018 is now more than 5 years old. We are therefore working to prepare a new Local Plan to ensure that future development needs are met sustainably and to reflect the changing vision for the area, along with various legislative changes.

An Issues and Options (Regulation 18) 'Direction of Travel Document' was published for consultation between March and May 2024.  The document (linked below) identified the issues and challenges facing the district and the options that could help to address them.  It should be noted that it did not identify any specific uses of land, potential development sites or draft policies as this will be done through a later stage of the Local Plan process.  The responses received during the consultation were reported to Planning Policy Committee in September 2024.

Update - September 2026

Work is continuing to prepare key evidence that will provide the 'building blocks' to inform the new Local Plan.

The government has made significant changes to the planning system, which has included the introduction of a new system for the preparation of Local Plans. The council is reacting to this to ensure that the new Plan conforms to prevailing guidance and legislation. Under the new system, the council is required to publish its Notice of Intention to Commence a new Local Plan by 31st December 2026.

Given the timeline for Local Plan preparation, an added complexity is Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). Once the geography for the new unitary authority is known, and in line with government guidance, consideration will need to be given to the preparation of a Joint Local Plan which would cover a larger area.

The council's Planning Policy Committee considered a report on 3rd September 2026 which provides further detail: 'Local Plan (Implications of Planning Reforms and LGR)'