The HDC Local Plan
Published: 31 August 2025
An Interim Update on the status of the Horsham District Local Plan.
January 2025
Last year (2024), the
Parish Council submitted a detailed response to Horsham District Council
Regulation 19 consultation into whether its Draft Local Plan was sound. The Parish Council argued that HDC's preference for a site to the east of the village in preference to the west (if any) had been chosen without sound justification.
To reinforce the Parish Council’s position of preferring west over east, it took part in round table discussions with the planning inspector who was conducting a public examination of the plan, in late December. However, the Inspector cancelled the rest of the planned hearings and we await a detailed explanation of what caused him to take such unusual action.
If you would like more information on the subject, you can visit the HDC website, by clicking the link HERE
Update & News Release from Horsham District Council
August 2025
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NEWS RELEASE
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21 August 2025
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Horsham
District Council calls for renewed scrutiny of Local Plan rejection
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Horsham
District Council has written a letter to Mr Luke Fleming, the Local Plan
Inspector examining the Horsham District Local Plan, in response to his
initial findings letter. The letter is available to view on the Local
Plan Examination pages of the Council’s website:
https://www.horsham.gov.uk/planning/local-plan/local-plan-examination/Examination-Library
The
letter requests that the examiner convene a further local plan hearing
session to further examine the Council’s compliance with the Duty to
Co-operate. In its letter the Council explains that since the receipt
of the Inspector’s Initial Findings letter in April 2025, further evidence
has become available which substantiates the Council’s position that
meaningful Duty to Co-operate discussions around unmet housing needs did take
place between January and July 2024.
The
letter follows a meeting of the Communities and Place Policy and Scrutiny
Committee Meeting on 23 July 2025 which considered the context of imminent
changing planning regulations that will repeal the Duty to Co-operate.
Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Planning and
Infrastructure Cllr Ruth Fletcher said:
“Our
priority has always been to deliver a sound, evidence-based Local Plan that
meets Horsham District’s needs in partnership with our neighbours.
“Since
the Inspector’s Initial Findings, we’ve uncovered further records of Duty to
Co-operate discussions that were underway in early 2024.
"We
welcome the chance to present this additional evidence at a further hearing,
because a robust plan depends on transparency, collaboration and the most
up-to-date information.”
The
Council will take account of the response it receives from the Inspectorate
before any final decision is made to withdraw the Local Plan. A Cabinet
Meeting was programmed for the 17 September 2025 to discuss the potential
withdrawal of the Local Plan but this will be delayed until a response is
received from the Planning Inspectorate.
For
media queries please email press@horsham.gov.uk
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ENDS
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