We have re-opened the ‘call for sites’ as part of the preparation for our next local plan.
This is another opportunity for you to suggest sites for a wide range of potential uses.
The ‘call for sites’ is taking place between 13 March and 5pm on 24 April 2025 and will help us to identify potential sites to meet the district’s needs in the future.
Sites can be submitted online via our PlaceMaker site.
You do not need to submit sites already submitted as part of our 2024 call for sites exercise.
Frequently asked questions
What is a call for sites?
It is an opportunity for the local community, parish councils, landowners, developers, agents and other stakeholders to suggest sites that they would like to be considered as part of the preparation of the next local plan.
Why are we carrying out a call for sites?
We are carrying out a call for sites to identify potential sites that could help to meet the future needs of the district.
Sites received will be considered through an evidence base document known as a housing and economic land availability assessment (HELAA) and ultimately help us understand what land is potentially available for development as we start work on our new local plan.
It is important that we know where sites are potentially available for a range of uses to help us make decisions on which land should be allocated for development in the new local plan.
Further information on a HELAA can be found on the government guidance page.
Who can put forward a site?
It’s an opportunity for the local community, parish councils, landowners, developers, agents and other stakeholders to suggest sites within or partially within the district.
Land doesn’t need to be in your ownership but as part of the evidence for the new local plan, we are required to assess whether sites can be delivered, therefore, it is helpful if you could provide as much detail as possible.
We have two different ways for sites to be submitted to us on our website:
1. If you have limited information on the site that you would like to suggest to us then use this route.
2. If you are the landowner or a developer then choose this route as it will enable you to provide us with more detailed information.
What uses can a site be submitted for?
You can suggest any site that you would like to be considered to meet the need for new development in the district.
Sites for a wide range of potential uses could be suggested to us, including:
- New housing developments including new settlements/garden villages, strategic development areas/urban extensions, non-strategic sites.
- Sites for specialised housing developments including affordable housing, rural needs housing, specialist housing for older people, self-build and custom housebuilding.
- Sites for Gypsy and Travellers pitches.
- Sites for economic development including employment land for offices, industrial, distribution, retail, tourism and other commercial uses.
- Sites for community facilities.
If you think that there could be more than one suitable use for a site, you can indicate this when you submit it to us.
It is not just sites for development that can be suggested, as we are also carrying out a call for open spaces, including:
- Sites for leisure and recreation
- Sites for nature where new wildlife habitats could be created
- New Local Green Spaces (green areas of particular importance to local communities)
Are there any requirements for sites?
We are interested in hearing about sites for development which meet the following thresholds:
- Housing - capable of accommodating at least five new homes or a minimum of 0.25ha.
- Economic development (e.g. employment or retail) – at least 0.25 hectares (or capable of delivering at least 500 square metres of floor space).
There is no maximum size of site, however, land parcels which adjoin, or overlap need not be submitted - please only submit the full extent of each site for assessment.
We are particularly keen to hear about previously developed (brownfield) sites, however undeveloped (greenfield) sites can also be submitted.
What happens once a site is submitted?
If a site meets the thresholds above, it will be subject to a detailed assessment to evaluate whether the site is suitable, available and deliverable, using a method set out in government guidance. The information collected will help us to identify a pool of sites, that have potential for a range of uses to inform the evidence base for the new local plan.
Just because a site has been suggested to us does not mean that it is suitable for development or that we think it will be needed.
The call for sites and HELAA will not determine how much new development we need, or whether a site should be allocated for development, or given planning permission.
However, for those sites taken forward for further consideration in the new local plan process, there will be opportunities for residents to have their say on site allocations in the future when drafts of the local plan are consulted on. The local plan is subject to an in-depth assessment by independent Inspectors appointed by government; the Inspectors must give their approval before the local plan can be finalised and adopted.
I submitted my site in the first call for sites in 2024, do I need to submit it again?
If you have already submitted a site as part of a previous call for sites exercise, then you do not need to resubmit your site or do anything further if the details provided remain correct.
Will there be future opportunities to submit sites?
We would encourage the submission of sites through this call for sites, however, there will be future opportunities to submit sites to us.
Who can I contact if I have further queries?
If you would like to discuss the call for sites process further, please email planning.policy@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk.