This is a new regular update on the Local Plan. You're receiving it because you said you were interested in "Planning" when you signed up to Rochford District Council's 'Tell Me More' mailing list.

The Local Plan isn't what you think

When we talk about “planning”, it’s easy to picture new houses being built. And yes, homes matter - we all want a place we can afford and feel at home in.

But Rochford’s Local Plan isn’t about housebuilding. It’s about protecting our district from development that’s not right for Rochford. And it’s also about making sure that as our district grows, its character, infrastructure and green spaces grow too.

But doesn't a Local Plan mean placing new homes?

Not quite. People often think that a Local Plan is the council choosing where it will ‘put homes’. They see it as something that drives development. But that’s not the case. Councils are given selected powers by the government. One of them is to make decisions about planning applications from developers and others. But there are rules to follow. If a Council doesn’t have a Local Plan, the only rules are national ones – which are basic and don’t take what’s special about Rochford into account.

A Local Plan is an extra layer of rules and policies which helps an area to make stronger decisions about planning applications. Say a developer submits an application for a big new housing development. If there’s a Local Plan, the council can say “no, that site isn’t earmarked for housing in our Local Plan.”

Without it, national rules might say we have to say yes – and if we don’t, the developer can appeal to national planners who might approve their application anyway!

The Local Plan also goes way beyond housing. It sets out the future of Rochford's job creation, green spaces, nature recovery, leisure and community facilities and much more. So it's pretty important for all of us.

Homes need to fit into our community

Adding new homes means more people, and that means more demand for schools, health services, parks, shops, roads, cycle-paths and public transport. Without careful planning, a development could place real pressure on existing services or fail to give newcomers access to what they need.

In Rochford, our Local Plan must set the right places for growth and ensure facilities keep pace, so residents enjoy a high quality of life. The council doesn’t want swathes of homes in inappropriate locations, and neither do the people who live here. That’s why it’s really important that we all create it together – council, residents, local businesses, charities and everyone else whose life is centred on Rochford.

Funding infrastructure through development

It’s one thing to identify the need for new services and green routes; it’s another to make them happen. When homes are built, developers contribute via ‘planning obligations’ for things like affordable housing, new parks or school places, so that the wider community benefits too. These contributions must be directly tied to the development and spent in a timely way.

I thought Rochford's Local Plan was delayed

It is, like many Local Plans around the country. That’s because the Government made big changes to the national planning rules last year. It has been a major job to rewrite the Plan, and we’ve had to go through some of the early stages again, but we’re working hard on a redraft now. You’ll see an early version, and the supporting evidence we’ve gathered so far, early in 2026. And you’ll get to have your say on it.

In the meantime, we will work within national policies to make the best decisions we can for Rochford. Unfortunately, we aren’t allowed to put all planning decisions on hold until we’ve got the Local Plan, and developers know this. That’s why it’s so important that the community works together and gets involved so we can get the Plan in place as soon as we can.

Rochford's community decides Rochford's future

Some growth will always happen, and the Local Plan sets a roadmap for where, how and when. This is your community, which means your views matter. As the Local Plan comes together, you’ll have two big chances to shape how Rochford develops for the better.

We’ll be publishing the first of these, the ‘Reg 18 consultation’ early next year. Watch this space, let your friends and neighbours know about this newsletter, and let’s build a future for Rochford that works for everyone.

Thanks for reading! The next installment will talk more about Reg 18 and Reg 19 - what they are, how they work, and the next steps.