Wealden's Local Plan
As you know we spent much of the past
year developing our Local Plan.
However, during that process the new
government changed the planning
environment, believing that will somehow
solve the housing crisis we face.
Unfortunately, it has become clear that
we are going to have to hold another
consultation before we can move to the
next stage of the new Plan due to:
- there being a number of new sites
submitted since the draft was
approved about a year ago,
- the need to reassess transport
issues in the light of changes in the
new National Planning Policy
Framework, and,
- a higher housing target set for the
district
The consultation, which will be shorter
and less complex than last year’s one,
should take place in the final quarter of
this year, and the final draft of the Plan
should then appear in the second quarter
of 2027.
The length of time the process takes is
frustrating, but that’s not for want of
trying on the part of our planning officers
and
councillors.
The
government
requires an enormous amount of
information to support the Plan proposals
and a lot of the work done in the early
stages now requires updating.
Secondly, it is highly likely that the
housing number proposed in the Plan will
be significantly lower than the target
figure (over 1400 pa), so we will need to
be able to prove to the Planning Inspector who assesses the Plan that
our number is the right one. On the
brighter side, as the consultation
process advances, the draft Plan
gains increasing (although still limited)
importance in relation to decisions on
individual planning applications.
Sadly, the number of households on
Wealden’s housing need register has
increased by 81% in the past two
years. This is part of a national trend
that demonstrates a serious failure of
housing policy on the part of
governments over many decades.
This failure is built into the Local Plan
rules, and it will continue for as long
as the provision of social and
affordable housing is regarded as less
important
than
developers’
guaranteed profits. This is something
the current government does not
seem to understand. Giving planning
permission is not the same as building
a house!
In light of the reorganisation of local
government which will happen over
the next few years – resulting in the
disappearance of Wealden Council –
you might ask why we are bothering!
Government is expecting work on
Local Plans to continue, and it will
start to have “weight” whilst we still
exist. Also, the new East Sussex
authority will have no housing and
development plans in place, and it is
likely to take some time before it does.
So, we believe the Local Plan will still
carry some influence even after
Wealden Council no longer exists.
New Local Plan Timeline:
• Second Regulation 18 Consultation – September to December 2025
• Regulation 19 Consultation (all chapters) – April to June 2026
• Submission for Independent Examination – July to August 2026
• Plan Adoption – April to June 2027
Land North of A272 Planning Appeal
You may remember that last year Wealden’s Planning Committee rejected a
proposal to build 49 houses on the land north of the A272. As expected, the
developer appealed that decision and the hearing of the appeal has now been
set start at 10am on Wednesday 23 April 2025, for two sitting days and will be
held at the Hellingly Community Hub, Hellingly, BN27 4EP.
The hearing will be an in-person event which you can attend. During the
event and, at the Inspector’s discretion, you may be able to give your views.
Anyone wishing to speak at the hearing should make themselves known to
the Inspector on the day. Should you wish to attend the hearing you should
contact the council by emailing planning.appeals@wealden.gov.uk.
The council will live stream the hearing via YouTube for interested parties to
follow the proceedings if they do not wish to actively participate. The council
will post a link to the stream on the feed of our social media account X,
formerly known as Twitter, on the morning of the appeal @wdc_planning.
The hearing stream may also be found at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3PgrhOuyeNJrT4hLSuFkw.
Community Grants Programme
Twenty-five organisations have successfully been awarded a total of £1,084,500
of funding over three years through the Wealden Community Grants Programme
and additional funding being made available from the cost of living and reserve
fund.
The Programme is designed to support local organisations in the delivery of
services that benefit the residents of Wealden. It provides funding to help
organisations make positive impacts in their communities, addressing various
needs and priorities within the district. The grants are awarded for a three-year
period running from April 2025 to March 2028. Please see webpage for further
details about the grants: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/community-andsafety/information-on-grant-funding/community-grants-awarded-in-this-financialyear/
Local Government Re-organisation
The local government reorganisation I wrote about in my last update is now
proceeding. This will lead to the abolition of the district councils and (probably)
the creation of a single “unitary” East Sussex authority. Many councillors have
concerns about this development, many of which were aired at a recent Full
Council meeting. The lack of detail from government, the danger of remoteness
from communities and ensuring the voice of rural areas in the new systems – to
name but three. Meanwhile the crisis in adult and children’s social care, and the
rising costs of special educational needs, remain. You may have seen that
nationally there are local authorities warning of their insolvency in the face of
these particular costs.
Whilst Wealden councillors and officers can seek to influence the process and its
outcomes, decisions, in the end, don’t rest with us. However, in the run up to
Wealden’s abolition we are actively considering which elements of the present
council strategy are a priority for delivery in the remaining time. We are
committed to leaving a lasting legacy and ensuring the voice of our communities
is heard.
Consultations on CCTV and Leisure Services
Several new public engagement projects have been launched on the council's
public engagement hub (let's talk Wealden). One on the compulsory use of
CCTV within taxis licenced in Wealden and one on Leisure Services in Wealden.
These are available here - Compulsory use of CCTV within taxis licensed by
Wealden District Council | Let's Talk Wealden and Leisure Services in Wealden |
Let's Talk Wealden.
Buxted has its share of illegal waste dumping but, thankfully, overall cases are slightly reducing.
Additional Funding for Economic Growth, Business Support and Wellbeing
By April 2026 all councils will have a duty to introduce weekly food waste
collections. We are working with our waste collector – Biffa – to order a fleet of
waste collection vehicles for deliver at the end of the year/start of next year.
These new vehicles and the containers for residents are being funded through
Defra. Residents will receive these in the run up to start of the new service.
The Council has been awarded a further £383,457 from the Shared Prosperity
Funding. Projects that will be delivered into 2025 – 2026 include:
- Town Centre support – continuation and extension to Streets of Wealden
events into April and May (this work is supported through a successful
Arts Council bid),
- Support to the visitor economy through local produce projects, continued
support to the viticulture sector and 1066 Country partnership,
§ Further capital works to the Cuckoo Trail and extension of the outreach
work undertaken in schools and care homes,
- Support of Local Business – a County wide business support programme
to provide start up and specialist support,
- Skills – participation in a County wide skills programme with a focus on
supporting young people not in education, employment or training and
adults furthest from the workplace.
New Regulations for Social Housing
Wealden is one of a few councils which still has rented social housing (around
3000 properties). As such our housing team is busy ensuring we comply with
new regulations designed to improve social housing and ensure better outcomes
for tenants. We will be measured by a new regulator on safety and quality, as
well as tenant satisfaction measures. We are required to set up a new Tenants
Together Board, which includes tenant representatives to make sure we comply
with the new regulations.
Please don‘t hesitate to contact me to discuss these or any other issues important to you.
Contact me on cllr.graham.shaw@wealden.gov.uk Tel. 07770 571828
Wealden’s website is www.wealden.gov.uk