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A Vision for our Parish


2022 to 2039

East Hoathly with Halland has embarked on preparing a Neighbourhood  Plan (NP).  This work began in 2017 and was progressing amidst the evolution of the Wealden Local Plan.  The Government Planning Inspectorate rejected the Submission Wealden Local Plan in early 2020 and it was formally withdrawn on 19 February 2020.  The current Wealden District Council (WDC) statutory development plan consists of the adopted Wealden District Core Strategy Local Plan (February 2013), the saved policies of the adopted Wealden Local Plan (1998) and the Affordable Housing Delivery Local Plan (May 2016).  WDC put their new Draft Local Plan on hold and were awaiting the outcome of a review of national planning policy (NPPF) and the Regeneration and Levelling Up Bill.  They were also seeking a change to the housing targets set by the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government.  WDC are intending to put their new Draft Local Plan to the Full Council for approval prior to beginning a public consultation in February 2024.


This website charts the evolution of our Draft NP.  You are all most welcome to come to our Consultation Events and have your say.  You may wish to get involved, visit our public events or just make a comment via this website.

A Neighbourhood Plan is a document that sets out planning policies for the neighbourhood area – planning policies are used to determine planning applications.


Written by the local community, the people who know and love the area, it gives communities the power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood.


It is a powerful tool in ensuring the community gets the right types of development, in the right place.


If you want to read our Draft NP, click here.


If you want to get more information about Neighbourhood Plans then have a look at the Process section and in our Document Library.

Work on our NP has been ongoing since 2017.  The draft plan has evolved and been open for a range of public consultations and events.  There has been regular liaison with WDC and the draft plan is now ready to be taken to the next stage of its process.  Following a formal public consultation period during 2023, the draft NP was amended and the Regulation 15 Submission Neighbourhood Plan was approved by the Parish Council on 16 Oct 23 and submitted to WDC.



WDC have now commenced the East Hoathly with Halland Neighbourhood Plan Regulation 16 Consultation


This Plan will be available for consultation from 8 January to 26 February 2024

The Parish Council set up a Steering Group in January 2017 comprised of several Parish Councillors and other members of the community.  The Council specified the Terms of Reference for the Steering Group and sought approval from Wealden that the whole of the Parish should be designated as the area for our NP.  The individuals forming the Steering Group have changed over time and the current membership includes 3 Parish Councillors, 4 members of the Parish and it is chaired by the head of the Parish Council Planning Sub Committee.  If you have any expertise relevant to the Steering Group or are just interested in helping in the process, please let us know.

What is the point of having a Neighbourhood Plan ?  The answer is simple.  It would provide the following benefits irrespective of the amount of housing that we eventually have to deal with:


Enhanced Protection - many of our treasured assets are already protected by being Listed, part of the Conservation Area or designated as things such as Ancient Woodland.  A Neighbourhood Plan provides the opportunity to review these assets and begin the process to enhance these protections. It will enable us to review how we make use of these assets and how they might be improved. It also allows us to identify Local Green Spaces that will be given significant protection from future development.


Shape the future of our Parish - to have the opportunity to get the right type of development in the right place.


Community Led Housing - a Neighbourhood Plan allows us to support a project for a Community Land Trust that will provide low rent houses for local families that will remain outside the private sector.


More Cash for the Parish - any development that takes place in the Parish provides a cash levy to WDC to help fund infrastructure projects (mostly outside our Parish). The Parish currently gets 15% of this cash (capped to £100 per Council Tax paying home in Parish). With a Neighbourhood Plan in place, the Parish would get 25% to help improve our Parish infrastructure and this would not be capped.


The beautiful autumnal scene (above) of the London Road approach to East Hoathly has been part of our Home page since 2018 but is now the site of a 205 home development.