Kingston Neighbourhood Plan
Kingston Parish Neighbourhood Plan (KPNP) 2014 – 2029: Possible Review - current position
Statement by Kingston Parish Council 16th January 2025
Neighbourhood Plan policies are required to be reviewed every five years to see whether they require updating. This review should be adequate and proportionate to justify the policies concerned. During 2019 the KPNP complied with all relevant National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) criteria and the adopted Arun District Council Local Plan, so it was not considered that any update or revision was necessary.
During 2024 there was a need to again review the KPNP. Due to the current status of the emerging Arun Local Plan (at the time of writing: Reg 18 (Issues and Options) had been completed and a report considered by the the Arun planning policy committee in September 2024), and to the December 2024 revised NPPF, this has been put on hold but Council is seeking quotes and advice from consultants on how this could be taken forward in the future.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was first published on 27 March 2012 and last updated 12 December 2024. This sets out the government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied. On Neighbourhood Plans they say:
"However, existing policies should not be considered out-of-date simply because they were adopted or made prior to the publication of this new Framework. Due weight should be given to them, according to their degree of consistency with this Framework (the closer the policies in the plan to the policies in the Framework, the greater the weight that may be given). Where a local planning authority can demonstrate a five year supply of deliverable housing sites* (with the appropriate buffer as set out in paragraph NPPF 78) and where the Housing Delivery Test indicates that the delivery of housing is more than 75% of the housing requirement over the previous three years, policies should not be regarded as out-of-date on the basis that the most up to date local housing need figure (calculated using the standard method set out in planning practice guidance) is greater than the housing requirement set out in adopted strategic policies, for a period of five years from the date of the plan’s adoption."
*It should be noted at this time that Arun District Council does not have a 5-year housing supply.
Also regarding Neighbourhood Plans, Paragraph 14 of the revised NPPF says "In situations where the presumption (at paragraph 11d) applies to applications involving the provision of housing, the adverse impact of allowing development that conflicts with the neighbourhood plan is likely to significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, provided the following apply: a) the neighbourhood plan became part of the development plan five years or less before the date on which the decision is made; and b) the neighbourhood plan contains policies and allocations to meet its identified housing requirement. This affects the weight given to KPNP policies where an application involves the provision of housing, because it was adopted over 5 years ago.
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Adopted Neighbourhood Plan 2015
The Kingston Neighbourhood Plan was completed in 2015. The Referendum turnout was 30.7% and 96.45% of you supported the Plan and voted Yes. It is now taken into account when determining planning applications.