Rother District Council has published the Rother Local Plan 2025–2042: Proposed Submission Version and its supporting documents for consultation.  

The formal 6-week consultation period is open from Monday 12 October 2026 until 23:59 on Tuesday 24 November 2026. 

This formal Regulation 19 publication stage is your opportunity to review the plan and submit representations on whether it meets statutory legal requirements and national tests of soundness before it is submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination. 

How to Take Part

What Should Your Comments Focus On 

Unlike earlier informal consultations where broad feedback and comments were sought, formal representations at Regulation 19 must focus strictly on whether the Local Plan is legally compliant and sound. 

• Legal compliance: Has the plan been prepared in accordance with statutory planning regulations, the Council’s Local Development Scheme (LDS), and the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)? Has the Sustainability Appraisal been carried out correctly? 

• Soundness: Does the Plan meet the four soundness tests set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, particularly: 

• Positively prepared: Does the plan provide a strategy that meets objectively assessed needs? 

• Justified: Is the strategy an appropriate one, taking into account reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate and robust evidence? 

• Effective: Are the policies deliverable over the plan period? 

• Consistent with National Policy: Does the plan align with the National Planning Policy Framework? 

How to Make a Representation 

Representations can be submitted during the 6-week consultation period using our online consultation portal. This is the quickest and most efficient method, allowing you to comment directly against specific policies, paragraphs, and site allocations. 

Alternatively, you can download our standard Response Form and return it via email to draftlocalplan@rother.gov.uk or by post to Planning Policy, Rother District Council, Town Hall, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN39 3JX. 

Representations cannot be treated confidentially or made anonymously. All representations will be published on our website and forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate. Private contact details (email addresses, phone numbers, and physical signatures) will be redacted. 

Deadline 

All representations must be received by 23:59 on Tuesday 24 November 2026.  

Submissions received after this deadline will not be accepted.  

Guidance on Making a Representation 

We have produced a guidance note to assist you in submitting your comments.  

Proposed Submission Documents 

All proposed submission documents and supporting evidence documents are available below. 

The following core statutory documents have been published under Regulation 19 and will be submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination: 

The Proposed Submission Local Plan is underpinned by a comprehensive, proportionate evidence base which will also be submitted to the Secretary of State for examination. This includes, but is not limited to, technical assessments on housing need, land availability, infrastructure, flood risk, landscape impact, and viability. Supporting evidence documents and topic papers are available to view on our website. 

About the Rother Local Plan 2025–2042 

The Rother Local Plan 2025–2042 is the strategic spatial blueprint that will guide sustainable development, regeneration, and conservation across our district. It establishes: 

• Where new homes, jobs, community facilities and essential infrastructure will be delivered. 

• How the district’s valued rural landscapes, historic character, biodiversity, and the High Weald National Landscape will be conserved and enhanced. 

• Robust policies to tackle climate change, achieve carbon reduction, and encourage active and sustainable transport. 

Why Do We Need a Local Plan 

National planning policy requires councils to plan positively for future housing, employment, and infrastructure needs. Having an up-to-date Local Plan ensures growth across Rother is plan-led rather than speculative, giving the Council and local communities genuine authority over: 

• Where development happens, by directing new homes, jobs, and community facilities to the most sustainable locations while safeguarding valued countryside, biodiversity, and ancient woodland. 

• Better quality and greener homes, by setting higher standards for place-making, energy efficiency, water conservation, and space standards. 

• Infrastructure delivery, by ensuring development is supported by transport connections, school places, health facilities, and open spaces. 

Without an adopted Local Plan, planning decisions are guided primarily by national overarching rules, leaving the Council with far less control over where development takes place and what standards developers must meet. 

Previous Stages 

Information about how the Local Plan was prepared, including details of the previous Regulation 18 consultations and answers to frequently asked questions, can be viewed on our Local Plan FAQ page. 

What Happens Next 

All duly made representations will be collated by the Council alongside the submission documentation. 

The Council intends to submit the Local Plan, evidence base, and all representations to the Planning Inspectorate before the end of 2026. 

An independent Planning Inspector will hold an Examination in Public (EiP) to determine whether the plan is legally compliant and sound. The EiP is expected to take place during 2027. 

If the Inspector finds the plan sound (with or without recommended modifications), Rother District Council will consider whether to formally adopt the Local Plan.