Rottingdean Neighbourhood Plan
New Planning Guidance for Rottingdean
At the referendum on Friday 9th February, 89% of the votes were in favour of the plan prepared by Rottingdean Parish Council. The Plan was formally adopted by Brighton and Hove City Council on 28 March 2024. This means that the Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood Plan 2018-2030 has been brought into legal force and forms part of the statutory Development Plan for Brighton & Hove. Consequently, decisions in determining planning applications in Rottingdean Parish will be made in accordance with the Neighbourhood Plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. See the adoption statement here
The key aims of the plan are to:
- Protect the green spaces in and around Rottingdean,
- Ensure any new building is in sympathy with the Rottingdean Village character and respect its heritage
- Ensure good quality, accessible and fit-for purpose community facilities
The Plan in Summary
Introduction
The Parish Council has been working on a Parish Neighbourhood Plan over the last few years, under the powers of the Localism Act of 2011. The policies will add weight to local planning guidance and are designed to protect and enhance what makes Rottingdean a very special place to live. In law, the policies must fit with the National Planning Policy Framework and the Local Plans of Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) and the South Downs National Park. This Plan has been shaped by what you, our residents have told us in surveys and focus groups is important to you about living here between the sea and the Downs. We have tried, within the legal requirements for the Plan, to reflect the views of Rottingdean residents and stakeholders in the policies which will frame the basis of development until 2030.
Key Policies. The policies in the Plan aim to ensure “the character and the key design features of our historic chalk downland village are maintained”
- Environment & Biodiversity . To protect and enhance green and open spaces within the Parish, maintaining the green gaps which define the village and protect and enhance biodiversity.
- Housing & Design . To ensure new building is in sympathy with the Rottingdean Village Character, respects historic plot boundaries, hedgerows and enclosure walls and retains a sense of place and the visual quality of the environment.
- Access. To make Rottingdean a village that is welcoming, inclusive and accessible, providing barrier-free services and amenities that promote independence and equity of access and opportunity, including access to digital services and housing.
- Air Quality and Traffic Reduction To reduce the volume of vehicle traffic passing through Rottingdean to tackle congestion and improve air quality, whilst encouraging sustainable transport.
- Employment & Enterprise To foster trade, tourism and economic development in Rottingdean
- Community Facilities .To ensure good quality, accessible and fit-for purpose community facilities within the Parish which promote community cohesion and social inclusion
The Plan in Full
A referendum on the Rottingdean Neighbourhood Plan is to take place on 9th February 2024. See below for the referendum details and view the Neighbourhood Plan and appendices .
A Referendum relating to the adoption of the Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood Plan will be held on Friday 9 February 2024.
The question which will be asked in the Referendum is:
“Do you want Brighton & Hove City Council to use the Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood Plan to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”
The Referendum area is identified on the map which is included with this information statement.
The Referendum area is identical to the area which has been designated as the Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood area.
A person is entitled to vote in the Referendum if on Friday 9 February 2024:
A person’s qualifying address is, in relation to a person on the electoral register, the address in respect of which they are entitled to be registered.
The Referendum expenses limit that will apply in relation to the Referendum is 2,522.36. The number of persons entitled to vote in the Referendum by reference to which that limit has been calculated is 2,718.
The Referendum will be conducted in accordance with procedures which are similar to those used at local government elections.
A copy of the specified documents, that is those documents listed below, may be inspected online at Rottingdean Neighbourhood Plan.
Paper copies of the specified documents are available to view at the following locations:
- Bartholomew House Customer Service Centre. (Mon to Fri 9am to 4.30pm)
- Rottingdean Library (open Mon & Weds 9am-5pm, libraries extra remaining days)
- Jubilee Library (open 7 days a week).
The specified documents are:
- Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan (Referendum Version);
- report of the independent examiner;
- summary of the representations submitted to the independent examiner;
- statement by the local planning authority that the draft plan meets the basic conditions and complies with the relevant legislation;
- this information statement and general information about town and country planning including neighbourhood planning and the referendum
Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood Plan 2018 to 2030
Statement of General Information as to Town and Country Planning (including Neighbourhood Planning) and the Referendum
The Planning System
The UK has a plan-led system of town and country planning. Local authorities (borough, district and unitary councils) and other decision makers, such as planning inspectors, make planning decisions based on policies in the local Development Plan, national policy, and other material considerations.
The Development Plan is the starting point for determining any planning application, so the planning policies within the plan help to decide how much and what type of development happens, what it looks like and where it goes.
Brighton & Hove City Council’s Development Plan comprises:
- the City Plan Part One (2016);
- the City Plan Part Two (2022);
- A joint development Plan with East Sussex County Council for Waste & Minerals
- Shoreham Harbour Joint Area Action Plan; and
- Neighbourhood plans that have been made following a successful referendum.
Neighbourhood Plans
Neighbourhood plans are produced in consultation with local communities by parish or town councils or, in areas without a parish, by forums of residents and businesses. When a neighbourhood plan passes a local referendum, it becomes part of the statutory Development Plan, and its policies must be used to help determine planning applications within the designated neighbourhood area. Therefore, neighbourhood plans allow communities considerable influence over development in their own areas.
Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood Plan
The Neighbourhood Plan was produced by Rottingdean Parish Council in consultation with Rottingdean parish residents and other stakeholders. It sets planning policies for the Rottingdean Neighbourhood Area (see below). The Parish Council held a consultation on the draft Neighbourhood Plan before submitting it to Brighton & Hove City Council. The City Council then held a further consultation, before sending the Plan and the representations received to an independent examiner to examine the Plan.
The examiner recommended several modifications to the Plan to ensure that it complies with the basic conditions and other legislative requirements before proceeding to a referendum. The City Council decided to accept the examiner’s modifications to the Neighbourhood Plan and to submit the modified Plan for a referendum in the designated Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood Area. The referendum version of the Plan is the final version of the Plan and includes these modifications.
Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood Area
The area covered by the Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood Plan relates to the entirety of Rottingdean Parish Area. The Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood Area is shown in the map below.
The independant examiner, Mr Derek Stebbing of Intelligent Plans and Examinations (IPE) Ltd, 3 Princes Street, Bath BA1 1HL, appointed to examine the Neighbourhood Plan provided hiwe report on 18th Ocvtober 2023. A summary of the examiner's findings is below
From my examination of the Rottingdean Neighbourhood Plan (the
Plan) and its supporting documentation including the representations made, I
have concluded that subject to the modifications set out in the Appendix to
this report, the Plan meets the Basic Conditions.
I have
also concluded that:
-
the Plan has been prepared and submitted for examination
by a qualifying body – Rottingdean Parish Council;
-
the Plan has been prepared for an area properly
designated – the Neighbourhood Plan Area, the boundary of which is coterminous
with the Parish Council boundary, as identified on the Map at Appendix 13 of
the Plan;
-
the Plan specifies the period to which it is to
take effect – from 2018 to 2030; and,
-
the policies relate to the development and use
of land for a designated neighbourhood plan area.
I recommend that the Plan, once modified, proceeds to referendum
on the basis that it has met all the relevant legal requirements.
The Examinier's full report can be seen here Follwoing modifcation the Plan will now be considered by the Culture, Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Economic Development Committee on the 8th of December prior to disussion by BHCC's full Council on 14th December.
Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood Plan - Regulation 16 Consultation The consultation has now closed
Rottingdean Parish Council submitted the Neighbourhood Plan to Brighton and Hove City Council for the next stage of consulataion. The Plan sets out a vision for the future of the Rottingdean Parish Neighbourhood Area and includes planning policies which will be used to help determine planning applications locally. The Parish Council previously undertook Regulation 14 public consultation on their draft Plan in 2021.
In accordance with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012 (as amended), the Neighbourhood Plan and associated documents will be out for consultation from Thursday 2 February to 11:59pm on Thursday 16 March 2023 for 6 weeks.
Where to view the Neighbourhood Plan and supporting documents
- Copies of the Neighbourhood Plan and supporting documents are available to view below and on Brighton and HIve City council's council’s Consultation Portal.
- A copy of the Neighbourhood Plan will be made available at the following libraries: Rottingdean, Saltdean, Jubilee and Hove.
- If you have difficulty accessing any of the consultation documents or submitting comments through the Council’s consultation page, please contact us via email: neighbourhoodplanning@brighton-hove.gov.uk
How to make your comments on the Neighbourhood Plan and supporting documents
NOTICE:
Brighton & Hove City Council will process the information you provide in a manner that is compatible with the General Protection Regulations (GDPR), 2018. Please be aware that all representations received by the authority will be made publicly available (in due course). These will be identifiable by name and organisation (if applicable). A copy of the council’s Neighbourhood Planning privacy statement is available to view https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/node/1997046
enquiries@rottingdean-pc.gov.uk