We have open a targeted ‘Call for sites’. This provides a further opportunity for landowners and site promoters to suggest land that may be suitable for housing, employment or other uses.
This ‘Call for sites’ will inform our updated Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA), to assess the availability, suitability and deliverability of land for housing, employment and other uses.
The National Planning Policy Framework 2024 requires us to produce a SHELAA, which is used in the preparation of the Local Plan.
National Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) sets out how we should prepare a SHELAA.
The PPG makes it clear that the assessment does not in itself determine whether a site should be allocated for development. This is the function of a Local Plan. The SHELAA is one part of the evidence used to determine potential development sites in a Local Plan.
Sites put foward for the 'Call for sites' will need to be within one of the following three categories to be considered:
- Urban sites (within existing settlement boundaries)
- Previously Developed Land / ‘brownfield’ land
- Potential greenfield ‘grey belt’ land
If you have already submitted a site, and have a reference number (with the prefix HO, EM, MX, GT), then you do not need to resubmit your site. These sites will be re-assessed taking into account of the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2024.
If you need to update any details of sites previously submitted to us, please email sites@sevenoaks.gov.uk quoting your site reference number.
The previous SHELAA, published in November 2023, can be viewed our Plan 2040 Evidence Base webpage.
Please note: submitting a site does not mean is will be allocated or that it is suitable for development. The SHELAA is a high-level assessment used to help determine whether sites could be allocated in the new Local Plan. Before sites are put forward for allocation, other evidence and information will be considered and sites will be put through a comprehensive sustainability appraisal assessment.
Site submissions should be made by 5pm on Wednesday 30 April 2025.
We will publish an up-to-date SHELAA alongside the Regulation 18 consultation later in 2025.