Southend new Local Plan - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Preferred Approach with Options Consultation 

 

Q. Haven’t you already consulted the public on the Local Plan? 

A. There have been two earlier stages of consultation in the Local Plan’s preparation:

• Issues and Options document in 2019 – asked for views about the opportunities and challenges facing Southend to address in the new plan 
• Refining the Options document in 2021 – set out more detailed consideration of these issues and potential policy options and potential site allocations 

Consultation responses can be viewed on the website

Q. What is this consultation about?

A. Using feedback from previous consultations, evidence gathered from a range of sources, and updates in national planning policy, the Preferred Approach with Options takes preparation of the local plan a stage further. It is asking for views on:

• Draft planning policies across a wide range of issues including infrastructure provision, housing, transport, employment and retail, health and wellbeing, heritage, design and placemaking, managing the natural environment, seafront, and flood risk;
• Draft planning policies for each neighbourhood within Southend;
• Potential site allocations for homes, jobs, and other uses which require available land;
• Different options for some issues where we need further input to evidence our policies including energy efficiency standards for new buildings, increasing green space in the urban area, developer contributions towards employment and skills for local jobs, and affordable housing requirements;
• The strategic option of whether to allocate land for a new neighbourhood on land north of Southend 

You can have your say on the draft Local Plan, its policies and proposals at https://localplan.southend.gov.uk/

Q. What will happen next? 

A. There is a published timetable - the Local Development Scheme (LDS) - available on the Local Plan website that sets out when consultation is due to occur Local Development Scheme | Southend Local Plan and what will happen next.

Your comments will help us to further refine the Plan and produce a Submission document, which will be published for comment and then be examined in public before an Independent Inspector. 

Q. What is a Local Plan?

A. A Local Plan is a document that sets out planning policies and proposals to guide and manage future development in an area. It sets out a vision and framework for how land will be used and developed over a period of time. Every Council is required by law to produce a Local Plan.

A Local Plan is an important document that addresses a range of issues, including infrastructure provision, health and well-being, housing, employment, design and heritage, and management of the natural environment. 

The Southend new Local Plan will cover the period to 2040, guide planning decisions and set out policies to make sure development is sustainable, supported by appropriate infrastructure, aligning with local needs and aspirations. 

Q. What do we mean by infrastructure-led approach to development

This Local Plan adopts an infrastructure-led approach, covering a wide variety of different types of provision including:

• Utilities - water, sewerage, storm water drainage, flood risk, electricity, gas, waste management and telecommunications;
• Transport – highways, public rights of way including cycleways, railways, other public transport;
• Education - early learning, primary and secondary schools, specialist schools, further and higher education including libraries;
• Health and Welfare - GP's, dentists, clinics, health centres, emergency services and hospitals; and
• Social - sports, leisure, parks and community facilities.

An Infrastructure Delivery Plan will be produced to inform this Local Plan. It will identify the key infrastructure requirements, including planned projects and how they are to be delivered, including the anticipated funding mechanisms over the Plan period. The Council will work with providers and partners, as appropriate, to facilitate the delivery of key projects and ensure new development is accompanied by supporting infrastructure.

Q. Why does Southend need a Local Plan?

A.  The Government requires all local planning authorities to provide a long-term Local Plan to meet our needs for the future. If we don’t have an up-to-date Local Plan, development will still take place, but we will not be able to use our own local planning policies to help decide where development should go, and what form that development should take.  We will also be less able to require the schools, open space, roads and other infrastructure that are needed to support development. 

This local plan will update existing planning policy documents including the Core Strategy (2007), Development Management Document (2015), Southend Central Area Action Plan (2018) and other supporting Supplementary Planning Documents.

Q. What if Southend does not produce new Local Plan?

A. If Southend-on-Sea City Council does not produce a plan, the Government could decide to intervene and have a Local Plan prepared on behalf of the Council. This would have the disadvantages of limiting local involvement and decision-making as well as incurring extra expense.

The Government has also introduced several tests relating to housing delivery and supply. If a new Local Plan is not prepared in a timely manner, currently set by the Government, existing policies relating to housing will likely not be applicable. 

This increases the risk of planning consents being granted by appeal and development occurring outside the Council’s control, including on Green Belt land.

Q. What is Southend’s housing requirement?

A. The Government sets out the approach for establishing housing provision through the preparation of strategic policies within Local Plans, and a national standard method for calculating how much housing should be provided for each local authority area in England.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) establishes a housing requirement through the adoption of a Local Plan.  This: 

1. requires housing needs to be objectively assessed (often termed as a ‘policy-off’ approach); and
2. then a separate assessment made as to whether (and, if so, to what extent) other policies dictate or justify constraint (a ‘policy-on’ approach).

It is through this two-stage process that housing provision is refined, tested and consulted upon through the preparation of Local Plans. Local planning authorities are then able to establish a housing requirement figure for their whole area, which shows the extent to which their housing need, as identified by the Government Standard Methodology (and any needs that cannot be met within neighbouring areas), can be met over the plan period.

Standard Methodology – what is it?

To support the Government’s objective of significantly boosting the supply of homes it is important that sufficient land is identified where it is needed through the plan making process. 

Local Plans should be positively prepared seeking to meet objectively assessed needs. National planning policy states that housing need should be calculated using the national Standard Method. The housing need in Southend to 2040, conducted using the national Standard Method is nearly 24,000 (or 1,405 homes per year). This is more than 4 times recent annual delivery rates.

Draft local plan policy SP2 (Spatial Strategy) makes provision for at least 9,500 homes to 2040 (around 550 homes per year) that could be sustainably accommodated within the existing urban area of Southend outside the Green Belt and at Fossetts Farm. However, this results in a shortfall of over 14,000 new homes over this period compared with the national Standard Method for calculating housing need. 

Planning practice guidance makes it clear that Local Planning Authorities in preparing Local Plans should seek to meet housing need in full, based on the Standard Method, unless strong reasons can be given for not doing so and where there are agreements with neighbouring authorities on how and where unmet housing need can be met.

Such reasons will need to be justified by extensive and robust evidence including the consideration and assessment of alternative strategies as part of the Local Plan preparation and at the public examination of the plan.

Q. How were the potential development sites/ allocations (HELAA sites) identified and chosen?

A. HELAA stands for the Housing and Employment Land Availability assessment. It is an assessment of the capacity, suitability, achievability and availability of land in the city for future development. A comprehensive “Call for Sites” is undertaken and sites put forward by landowners, agents, developers, businesses and the Council. These sites are then assessed for their suitability for development. Sites identified in the HELAA are not necessarily put forward for development at subsequent stages of plan preparation. The list of sites included in the HELAA reflects the position at the time of production. The “Call for Sites” process remains open and new sites that are submitted as part of the ongoing plan preparation process will also be considered.

Again, a review of existing HELAA sites and monitoring of planning permissions helps to identify other potential available sites.

Q. Have the sites been individually assessed for their suitability?

A. Yes, housing sites have been assessed against a broad range of criteria including national policy constraints and existing infrastructure provision. This will further assist consideration of sites before any final decisions are made.

Q. When will there be a list of potential site allocations?

A. A list of potential site allocations is presented as part of this round of consultation in the preparation of the Southend new Local Plan. Your comments on the proposed sites are welcomed. You can find out more https://localplan.southend.gov.uk/ 

 Q. Why do we need 7,500 new jobs?

A. As well as new homes there is a need to provide additional jobs within the city. These are required to support the local population and workforce, reduce the levels of commuting out of Southend for work, improve the range of jobs available for local residents and accommodate a growing population.

The Southend Economic Development Needs Assessment (EDNA) (2024) indicates that around 7,500 additional jobs will be needed in Southend by 2040, based on Cambridge Econometrics Economic Projections.

Jobs growth is expected in the sectors of aviation, construction/specialist construction, health and medical industries, business and professional services, tourism, food and beverage services, cultural and creative industries, civic and government administration, commercial fishing marine activities.

Q. What is the Green Belt?

A.  National Green Belt planning policy is set out within the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence.

The Green Belt in Southend is part of the much larger London Metropolitan Green Belt, stretching from east London across south Essex including land in the neighbouring local authority areas of Rochford and Castle Point. In Southend, the Green Belt designation covers four areas, namely the coastal stretches of open land to the west of Leigh; the Belfairs Wood area; land to the north of Eastwood and open land between Sutton Road and Great Wakering. Within the Green Belt there are some existing buildings.

Q. I thought Green Belt was supposed to be protected from development?

A. National Planning practice guidance sets out that a change to Green Belt boundaries should only be made through the Local Plan process where exceptional circumstances are fully evidenced and justified in accordance with national planning policy.

“Exceptional circumstances in ...this context include, but are not limited to, instances where an authority cannot meet its identified need for homes… if that is the case, authorities should review Green Belt boundaries in accordance with the policies in this Framework and propose alterations to meet these needs in full, unless the review provides clear evidence that doing so would fundamentally undermine the purposes (taken together) of the remaining Green Belt, when considered across the area of the plan” (NPPF para. 146).

The new Southend Local Plan ‘Preferred Approach with Options’ consultation includes an option for a new neighbourhood on land in Southend designated as green belt. This is due to the shortfall of over 14,000 new homes over the period compared to the national Standard Method for calculating housing need, that cannot be accommodated within the existing urban area without compromising the quality of the character of existing areas.

It should be noted that planning applications may also be submitted for development proposals on land located within the Green Belt. These would be determined in accordance with the development plan and any other material considerations, including recently updated national planning policy for Green Belts.

Q. What is the option being considered for a new neighbourhood on green belt land north of Southend?

A. The option is for a new neighbourhood to the north of Southend, providing the opportunity to balance the delivery of new homes with the necessary supporting infrastructure. 

Infrastructure covers a wide variety of matters including: 

• employment provision, health, school and community facilities;
• a network of formal green and blue Infrastructure such as public open spaces, sport, recreation and community space;
• the provision of sustainable urban drainage, landscaping and biodiversity measures; 
• Other utility provision including water, sewerage, storm water drainage, flood risk, electricity, gas, waste management and telecommunications; and 
• new transport links and pedestrian and cycle connections and bus priority measures.

Development of a new neighbourhood in isolation from land within the administrative district of Rochford could deliver:

• around 4,000 – 5,000 new homes of mixed size and type to include a high proportion of family and affordable housing;
• supporting uses, including employment provision, health, school and community facilities;
• a network of formal green and blue Infrastructure such as public open spaces, sport, recreation and community space;
• the provision of sustainable urban drainage, landscaping and biodiversity measures; and
• new transport links and pedestrian and cycle connections and bus priority measures.

Benchmark land use budgets have been considered, based on 16 examples of large -scale development across England. These indicate that residential uses could comprise approximately a third of the land for the new neighbourhood option, with around 50% of the land given over to green and blue infrastructure, and the remainder required for hard infrastructure (including roads), schools, employment areas and community facilities. Private gardens, green roofs and walls would be included within the residential element.

Please refer to Section 3b of the Preferred Approach with Options for more details and to comment  https://localplan.southend.gov.uk/

Q. How would the potential new neighbourhood contribute to the overall provision of housing in the city over the plan period to 2040? 

A. National planning policy sets out that Local Plans should make provision for local housing needs (conducted using the national standard method) unless areas protected by the National Planning Policy Framework provides a strong reason for restricting development in the area or any adverse impacts would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.

Land designated as Green Belt to the north of Southend traversing the administrative boundary with Rochford District is being promoted by developers as part of the Local Plan preparation process to Southend City and Rochford District Councils for strategic scale development.

To support the overall provision of housing and government’s objective of significantly boosting the supply of homes, the land to the north of Southend could provide around 4,000 – 5,000 new homes of mixed size and type. This would include a higher proportion of both family and affordable housing than could be provided within the existing urban area for land availability and economic viability reasons.

It should be noted that the new neighbourhood option, plus the potential site allocations within the existing urban area taken together would still not meet the housing need for Southend in full (based on the national Standard Method for calculating housing need). Neighbouring local authorities have continually been engaged about the constraints that the City of Southend faces and whether they would be able to contribute towards Southend’s unmet housing needs. 

Q. How will existing infrastructure and services cope and what new infrastructure will be provided to support the growth?

A. It is recognised that services such as schools and doctors are stretched in some locations and that utilities need to be improved in various places. We are working closely with colleagues responsible for schools, parks, roads, etc within the Council as well as with external parties, such as the utility providers and the NHS to try to ensure that infrastructure needs are adequately planned for.

The new Local Plan is proposing an infrastructure-led approach. An Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) is being prepared alongside the Local Plan, setting out what infrastructure is needed to support the growth targets within the plan, with development phased to reflect the capacity of the existing and proposed infrastructure.

The IDP must set out not only the infrastructure required and when but also how it is expected that this will be funded. Some of this will come through infrastructure providers own plans. In other cases, applications for government funding will be required. 

All new developments in the city must contribute to the delivery of appropriate infrastructure, whether directly or through financial contributions, for example through the Community Infrastructure Levy or through Section 106 planning legal agreements.

The Local Plan Preferred Approach with Options identifies the broad requirements for infrastructure, both to support potential site allocations within the existing urban area of Southend, and for the new neighbourhood option, based on evidence gathered for the IDP. For more details, please refer to Appendix 4 of the consultation document, Tables A4.1 and A4.2.

Q.  What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of the new neighbourhood option?

A. Potential advantages include the availability of sufficient land to provide new education, health and community services within easy reach of new homes; to provide a wider choice of housing types, to provide a higher proportion of affordable housing than could be achieved within other parts of the city, provision of new public open space and biodiversity enhancements including a new country park, space for new walking and cycling networks, and provision of a new local centre. Potential disadvantages include the permanent loss of Green Belt land in this locality, much of which is high grade agricultural land; the need to deliver requisite transport infrastructure and full potential of country park may depend on land within Rochford District, may direct investment away from Southend City Centre and undermine regeneration, risks reducing clear separation between settlements of Southend and Great Wakering, and the delivery may take many years and may disrupt existing communities. 

Q Hasn’t the Council already decided to support the new neighbourhood option by submitting an Expression of Interest (EoI) to the government’s New Towns Task Force?

A. The land to the north of Southend (both in Southend and within Rochford to the north) is being promoted by developers and has been submitted for consideration through the call for sites process of both local plans. If the site was to be allocated within the Southend Local Plan it would need to be accompanied by significant infrastructure. Being part of a new towns programme would likely bring partners such as Homes England on board and help deliver the necessary infrastructure improvements, including road and health facilities, outstanding design and affordable housing levels of a minimum of 40%. The submission of an EoI was without prejudice to any decision on sites to be allocated in the local plan, which must be considered by an independent inspector through the plan examination.

It should be noted that the developers promoting the site submitted a separate expression of interest to the taskforce. However, regardless of the outcome of the taskforce work, the Council will need to consider the suitability of the site through the Local Plan process, or through the development management process (if an application is submitted in advance of a Local Plan).

Q. How does the Local Plan relate to the emerging Transport Strategy and Local Transport (LTP 4)?

A. As the Local Plan is prepared it will be both informed and will inform other strategies and initiatives, including the preparation of the Southend Transport Strategy and LTP4. 

How transport and land use planning interact is recognised as being very important to the preparation of the Local Plan given the constraints on parts of the transport network, particularly the strategic road network. It will also be important to understand how new technology such as electric and hydrogen vehicles and digital technology will change the way we travel. Improving walking, cycling and public transport networks and incorporating these into new developments will be important to developing attractive and active neighbourhoods, and contributing to healthy lifestyles.

Q. What is a sustainability appraisal?

A. A Sustainability Appraisal is a legally required document, which sits alongside the Local Plan and seeks to ensure that all areas of the proposed Local Plan are assessed against a range of social, economic and environmental objectives. This work is undertaken independently and will impact on each stage of the Plan’s preparation. Carefully considering these three objectives will enable us to deliver sustainable planning policies. The Sustainability Appraisal is also open to consultation at the same time as the Local Plan.

Q. What will happen to the existing Planning Policies?

A. The Council currently has a number of adopted development plan and supporting documents, consisting of:

• Core strategy 2007
• Development Management Plan 2015
• Southend Central Area Action Plan 2018
• London Southend Airport Joint Area Action Plan 2014
• Essex and Southend Waste Local Plan 2017

The new Local Plan will have a plan period to 2040 and will ensure that local planning policies are as up-to-date as possible. Upon adoption, the new Local Plan will replace: the Core Strategy; the Development Management Document; and the Southend Central Area Action Plan. 

The London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan (prepared jointly with Rochford District Council) and the Essex and Southend Waste Local Plan (prepared jointly with Essex County Council) will be reviewed separately as they are cross-border documents, although the Local Plan may contain some strategic level policies for each.

Q. How does the Local Plan relate to the Southend City Vision? 

A. The Southend City Vision, developed by the Southend City Partnership, sets a clear direction for Southend’s growth and development, prepared through extensive consultation and engagement. 

Looking to 2035, the Southend City vision is that: ‘Southend-on-Sea is a vibrant, welcoming and well-connected coastal city brimming with opportunities, seamlessly blending its rich heritage with a contemporary, creative outlook.’ 

For more information see: Southend City Vision - Visit Southend.

A key and integral part of developing the Local Plan will be to encapsulate the Southend City Vision and present a place-based vision and set of strategic objectives for the Local Plan.  

Q. What are Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and Devolution, and do they impact the preparation of the Local Plan?

A. The Government believes that devolution, at the same time as Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), can boost the economy and deliver better public services. They think that simpler local government structures will:

• make it easier for residents to know who delivers their services
• make it easier for residents to know who deals with local issues
• result in better services for the local community

Devolution is about transferring powers and funding from government to local areas. This is intended to give them powers and funding that they don't currently have.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) aims to simplify and reduce the number of councils across the country. It will create larger unitary councils, which means:

• a more streamlined and effective system
• better value for money

Unitary councils are responsible for all council services in an area. Southend-on-Sea City Council is an example of a small unitary council.

The legal status of local plans is not impacted by local government reorganisation. The Government remains committed to ensuring delivery of up-to-date Local Plans as quickly as possible and has stated that strategic planning reform proposals should not be used as a reason to delay the preparation of local plans. 

Where reorganisation occurs, new unitary authorities will be responsible for plan making. Existing constituent local plans will remain in force as part of the development plan for their area. New unitary authorities will have the discretion to progress and update any emerging constituent local plans. 

Q. How do I get involved and how can I find out more?

A. The Southend new Local Plan Preferred Approach with Options consultation is available online for you to read and comment on, and we would encourage you to respond online https://localplan.southend.gov.uk/ 

You can also email us at planningpolicy@southend.gov.uk please ensure that your response clearly states which part of the Local Plan you are responding to, including policy reference and/ or site reference as applicable. This will help us when we are analysing any responses received.

You can also write to us at: Planning Policy (Local Plan), PO Box 6, Southend-on-Sea City Council, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6ER.

Hard copies of the Plan will be available at each of the Council’s libraries and Civic Centre for reference, and further copies can be made available upon request. 

We will be holding drop-in sessions for the public to come along and find out more information. Details of these sessions will be available on the Local Plan website https://localplan.southend.gov.uk/

You can also visit the Your Say Southend https://yoursay.southend.gov.uk/ consultation platform which will provide information and links to the consultation.

Q. How long is the consultation for?

A. The consultation period will run until 30 September 2025.

Q. I have a question about the consultation; how do I contact you?

A. If your question is not answered in this FAQ or the Preferred Approach with Options document, we are contactable in the following ways:

• Online at: localplan.southend.gov.uk
• By email to: planningpolicy@southend.gov.uk
• By post to: Planning Policy, Department for Environment and Place, Southend-on-Sea City Council, PO Box 6, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend on Sea, SS2 6ER

For more details visit: How to have your say | Southend Local Plan

Q. Will my comment be made public?

A. By law we are required to publish the comments we receive about the Local Plan and make them available for all to see, including your name. No other personal information will be published. This meets the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation 2018. 

Q. I don’t use the internet; how can I respond to the consultation?

A. Whilst we prefer comments to be made on our online consultation portal https://localplan.southend.gov.uk/, we will also accept paper responses. If you wish to do this, please request a paper copy of the questions and we can send you one for you to write your answers on and post them back to us. Alternatively, please come along to one of our drop-in sessions, or visit one of Southend’s libraries or Civic Centre to view a copy of the Plan.

Write to us at: Planning Policy, Department for Environment and Place, Southend-on-Sea City Council, PO Box 6, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend on Sea, SS2 6ER

Q. What happens next?

A. The consultation responses we receive at this stage will be analysed and used to inform the preparation of the new Southend Local Plan. Further information on the stages of plan preparation can be found in the Local Development Scheme (LDS) https://localplan.southend.gov.uk/ 

Q. If I respond once, do I need to comment on subsequent consultations?

A. While your comments will be retained, if any changes are made to the Local Plan and you wish to make additional observations, it is important that you make these known at subsequent stages of the Local Plan preparation.

Q. After the Local Plan is finally approved, will it remain untouched until 2040?

A. A Local Plan must be reviewed at least every five years after it is adopted. This ensures that its policies still reflect national guidance and remain up to date. The Local Plan may not need changing or a partial review may only be necessary. Any significant changes would require new public consultation to be undertaken.