Local Development Scheme 2025 to 2028

The preparation of a local development scheme (LDS) is a requirement of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended). This is the 2025 version of the LDS and replaces the previous version published in 2023. The LDS sets out the expected timetable for the preparation of local development documents over the next 3 years.

Local Development Documents fall into 3 categories: 

• Development Plan Documents (DPDs): DPDs are planning policy documents that form the statutory development plan for the area.  
• Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD)
• Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) 

The adopted documents set out below form the statutory development plan for Brighton & Hove. Planning applications received by the council must be determined in accordance with the statutory development plan.  

Development Plan Documents are an important mechanism in helping to deliver Brighton & Hove’s citywide strategies. These include the economic, local transport, housing, community safety, climate change, tourism, sports and cultural strategies. 

Adopted Development Plan documents 

City Plan Part One

• Adopted - 2016
• Role and subject - to provide an overall strategic vision for development in the city to 2030. It sets out the priorities to meet the challenges of the future; and identifies the broad locations, scale and type of development, as well as the supporting infrastructure required, to 2030
• Coverage - Brighton & Hove, excluding the South Downs National Park 

City Plan Part Two

• Adopted - 2022
• Role and subject - this document complements the adopted CPP1 and includes additional site allocations and detailed development management policies
• Coverage - Brighton & Hove, excluding the South Downs National Park 

East Sussex, South Downs and Brighton & Hove Waste and Minerals Plan

• Adopted – 2013 
• Revised Policies adopted- 2024
• Role and subject - sets out the vision, objectives and strategy for sustainable waste development and minerals production in the area and provides the policy framework for development control decisions
• Coverage - Brighton & Hove and East Sussex, including that part which falls within the South Downs National Park 

East Sussex, South Downs and Brighton & Hove Waste and Minerals Sites Plan

• Adopted – 2017  
• Revised Policies adopted- 2024
• Role and subject - identifies sites which are potentially suitable for new waste management facilities whilst safeguarding existing waste management sites. It also safeguards railheads and wharves that could be used for bulk transport of waste and minerals
• Coverage - Brighton & Hove and East Sussex, including that part which falls within the South Downs National Park 

Shoreham Harbour Joint Area Action Plan 

• Adopted - 2020
• Role and subject - to set out a vision, objectives, strategies, policies and detailed site allocations for Shoreham Harbour. Produced by the Shoreham Harbour Regeneration Partnership which includes Adur District Council, Brighton & Hove City Council, Shoreham Port Authority and West Sussex County Council
• Coverage - Shoreham Harbour and South Portslade area 

Development Plan documents in preparation 

The following documents are currently being prepared and will form part of the development plan once adopted.  

City Plan 2041

Overview

• Role and subject - a review of the City Plan focussing on the strategic policies in City Plan Part One. Policies will be revised to take into account changes in national policy, local priorities and other changes in circumstance. City Plan 2041 will supersede City Plan Parts One and Two and consolidate updated policies into a single DPD.
• Coverage - citywide, excluding the South Downs National Park 

Timetable

• Key Issues Scoping Document and Sustainable Appraisal (SA) Scoping Report (Regulation 18) November 2024 to January 2025
• Draft Plan and Sustainability Appraisal (Regulation 18) July to September 2026
• Publication stage (Regulation 19) Autumn 2027
• Submission stage (Regulation 22) – Early 2028
• Public Examination (Regulation 24) – Spring/Summer 2028
• Adoption – Late 2028 

Proposed Development Plan documents 

The following documents are proposed, with work yet to begin. 

Full Review of the Waste and Minerals Local Plan 

Overview

• Role and subject - a comprehensive review of the East Sussex, South Downs and Brighton & Hove Waste & Minerals Local Plan. Policies will be revised to take into account changes in national policy, local priorities and other changes in circumstance.
• Coverage – the administrative areas of East Sussex and Brighton & Hove, including part of the South Downs National Park 

Indicative timetable  

• Issues and Options consultation – Q3 2026
• Draft Plan Consultation (Reg 18) – Q3 2027
• Pre-submission Consultation (Reg 19) – Q3 2028
• Submission of Plan to Government – early 2029
• Public Examination – late 2029
• Adoption – early 2030 

It should be noted that Sussex and Brighton have joined the government’s Devolution Priority Programme which will create a Mayoral Strategic Authority covering East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove with mayoral elections expected in 2026. A separate process of Local government reorganisation is expected to be implemented in 2027-28 which may result in the boundaries of the Brighton & Hove unitary authority changing. The Local Development Scheme will be updated should these changes require the timetable to change. 

Links between Development Plans and other strategies 

When preparing all plans, the council seeks to ensure that its proposals are integrated with, and complimentary to, a range of adopted policies and strategies.  

Other strategies produced by the council that are considered in the preparation of DPDs include: 

• Carbon Neutral 2030 Programme 
• Housing Strategy 
• Economic Strategy 
• Visitor Economy Strategy 
• Local Transport Plan 
• Sustainable Community Strategy 
• Health and Wellbeing Strategy 
• Community Safety and Crime Reduction Strategy

The Council also works closely with neighbouring local authorities to support the development of their LDDs and to ensure that cross boundary issues are dealt with effectively including, when required, making representations at Local Plan Examinations as part of the Duty to Cooperate. 

The SPDs listed below provide additional guidance and information relating to the implementation of policies contained in DPDs. They do not form part of the statutory development plan for the city but a material consideration in the determination of planning applications.  

• SPD01 - Brighton Centre Design Framework, adopted January 2005
• SPD02 - Shopfront Design, adopted September 2005
• SPD03 - Construction and Demolition Waste, adopted March 2006
• SPD05 - Circus Street and Municipal Market Site, adopted March 2006
• SPD06 - Trees and Development Sites, adopted March 2006
• SPD07 - Advertisements, adopted June 2007
• SPD09 - Architectural Features, adopted December 2009
• SPD10 - London Road Central Masterplan, adopted December 2009
• SPD11 - Biodiversity & Nature Conservation and Development, adopted June 2022
• SPD12 - Design Guide for Extensions and Alterations (updated), adopted January 2020
• SPD13 - Shoreham Harbour Flood Risk Management Guide, adopted September 2015
• SPD14 - Parking Standards, adopted October 2016
• SPD15 - Toad’s Hole Valley, adopted September 2017
• SPD16 - Sustainable Drainage, adopted September 2019
• SPD17 - Urban Design Framework, adopted June 2021
• SPD18 - Hove Station Area Masterplan, adopted November 2021

Below are the key milestones for currently programmed forthcoming SPDs as well as a description of each document. Further SPDs may be produced during the three-year period covered by this LDS subject to need and resources. 

Eastern Seafront Masterplan      

The preparation of a masterplan for the Eastern Seafront will help support high-quality, innovative regeneration through improving access, activation of the seafront, coherent place-making, environmental enhancement and protection of the world class heritage assets. There is no timescale for this project at present. 

Shaping the Future of our City Centre

The preparation of a set of planning rules, known as a Design Code, to guide the design of future buildings and public spaces in the city centre. 

• Public consultation in three stages:

Stage 1: ‘Analysis’- Summer 2025

Stage 2: ‘Vision’- Spring/Summer 2026

Stage 3: ‘Code’- Summer/Autumn 2027

• Expected date for Adoption- Summer 2028 

Neighbourhood Planning 

Neighbourhood planning allows parish councils and neighbourhood forums to draw up a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) for their area; once adopted, these plans become Development Plan Documents and guide decision-taking for the areas covered. Neighbourhood planning is community-led, with support provided by the Local Planning Authority. The timetable for preparing neighbourhood plans, and the primary resources for doing so, are the responsibility of the Parish Council or Neighbourhood Forum. 

There are two neighbourhood areas in the city with ‘Made’ Neighbourhood Plans that have been examined, been through a referendum and adopted by the city council, these are:

• Hove Station Area
• Rottingdean Parish
• Brighton Marina 

Four areas of the city are working towards the preparation of neighbourhood plans. These are summarised below.

Hangleton and Knoll 

Neighbourhood Area and Forum was designated in November 2018. Forum re-designation was approved in March 2024.

Coldean

Neighbourhood Area and Forum designated in November 2021. A draft plan was consulted on under regulation 14 in June/July 2024.

West Saltdean

Neighbourhood Area and Forum designated in August 2022. A draft plan was consulted upon under regulation 14 in May/June 2024. Regulation 16 consultation is taking place from January to March 2025.

Ovingdean

Applications to form Neighbourhood Area and Neighbourhood Forum have been submitted. 

Supplementary Planning Guidance 

A number of Supplementary Planning Guidance documents remain material considerations in the determination of planning applications. These are listed below.

SPG02 - External Paint Finishes and Colours, October 1998        

SPG10 - King Alfred/RNR Site: Planning Brief, 2002

SPG11 - Listed building interiors, September 2003    

SPG19 - Fire Precaution Works to Historic Buildings, May 2004    

SPG20 - Brighton Marina, Masterplan for Enhancement          

The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out how and when the Council will involve the community and other interested people and organisations ('stakeholders') in the preparation of its planning policy documents, and also in the consideration of planning applications in Brighton & Hove. The SCI was adopted by the Council on 12 March 2015. It is intended to update the SCI in 2025. 

Community Infrastructure Levy

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) allows local authorities in England and Wales to raise funds from certain types of new development for strategic infrastructure to support growth. The council published its adopted CIL Charging Schedule in May 2020 and implemented CIL charges from 5 October 2020. 

Authority Monitoring Report

Local planning authorities are required to prepare and publish monitoring reports on the progress of their development plans. We produce a monitoring report every 12 which is made available on the Council’s website. 

The performance of the council against the LDS timetable is monitored in the Authority Monitoring Report (AMR), published annually on the council’s website. 

The AMR provides information on the following: 

• performance against the timetable as set out in the LDS; 
• the effectiveness of saved policies; 
• the effectiveness of new policies (in the future it may determine the timetable for review of local development documents); 
• an up-to-date list of superseded and ‘saved’ policies; 
• the effectiveness of the Statement of Community Involvement; and 
• the amount of new housing currently being delivered and likely to be delivered in the future

The information in the AMR is used to identify work priorities. The LDS will be reviewed as the need for further documents emerges and to ensure that a three-year programme is maintained.