Thousands of homes planned for South Downs National Park

A housing need of 323 homes per year—totalling 5,814 new homes between 2024 and 2042—has been identified as part of a major review of the South Downs National Park Authority’s (SDNPA) Local Plan.

The latest stage of the review includes a new Land Availability Assessment (LAA), which has evaluated the suitability, availability, and achievability of around 800 sites put forward by landowners, agents, and local communities.

This assessment, along with other published evidence documents, will help inform the draft Local Plan set for public consultation in May 2026.

The Seven Sisters cliffs, a popular part of the national park (Image: Wikimedia)

Tim Slaney, director of planning for the South Downs National Park Authority, said: "This local plan review is the framework for the future of this incredible national park.

"It shapes where and how development takes place, ensuring we conserve and enhance its wonderful landscape, provide for the needs of local communities, and conserve and enhance wildlife and heritage.

"In this way we can enable villages and towns to flourish.

"As always it’s about the right development, in the right place, and ensuring benefits flow from this, whether that be affordable housing, employment opportunities, new community facilities, infrastructure, or new habitats for wildlife."

A map outlining the full extent of the South Downs National Park (Image: ONS/Ordinance Survey)

Mr Slaney said no decisions have yet been made and that the documents only serve as early evidence in the plan-making process.

He said: "It’s really important to stress that these background studies are purely starting points to help inform the next stages of the local plan review and no decisions have been made.

"There’s still a long way to go, but we’re making really good progress on the various formal stages of the process."

The South Downs Local Plan is being updated to ensure it addresses important issues such as nature recovery, climate change, affordable housing and helping local communities thrive, with a big focus on placemaking for all.

A photo of the South Downs taken from a hill near Lewes (Image: John Wallace)

The LAA includes an interactive online map, allowing residents and other stakeholders to view the sites under consideration.

However, the authority is clear that inclusion in the LAA does not mean a site will be allocated for development.

Final decisions will be made through the Local Plan Review or, in some areas, through Neighbourhood Development Plans.

The authority has completed several other statutory background studies required by government, but the LAA remains a key piece of evidence in the planning process.

Villagers in the South Downs hamlet of South Harting in West Sussex gather for the Harting Festivities (Image: SDNPA)

A further round of consultation is scheduled for May 2026, with submission to the government’s planning inspectorate in the autumn of 2026.

Adoption as official planning policy by the authority is targeted for 2027.

The assessment of housing need is just one consideration. The authority must also consider its primary statutory purpose to conserve and enhance its natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage.

Residents, businesses, and other stakeholders are invited to stay informed and take part in future consultations.

The Local Plan Review and supporting evidence documents can be viewed on the South Downs National Park Authority website.