A Land Availability Assessment is an essential piece of evidence that is required to support the Local Plan process. The assessment is promoted and set out in National Planning Practice Guidance.
The Council has had an ongoing Call for Sites open as part of this assessment process. To now formally assess and consider any final sites submitted, and to ensure we review all information, we have closed the ‘Call for Sites’ to any further submissions. This will ensure that we have time to consider all information before publishing the next stage of the Local Plan to be published in 2026 as per our adopted Local Development Scheme (LDS).
The Land Availability Assessment itself is a technical assessment which considers the suitability, availability and achievability of land in the district for possible development. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) confirms that strategic policy-making authorities should have a clear understanding of the land available in its area through the preparation of a LAA and that planning policies for housing should identify a supply of:
- specific, deliverable sites for five years following the intended date of adoption of a Local Plan; and
- specific developable sites or broad locations for growth, for the subsequent years 6-10 and, where possible, for years 11-15 of the remaining plan period.
The assessment does not in itself determine whether a site should be allocated for development but is a high-level assessment used as a starting point to decide whether sites could be developed for housing, economic development or other uses in a Local Plan. The assessments are therefore not a statement of Council planning policy, but rather an evidence base to inform plan making only.
Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA)
The Council have previously undertaken a Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) to consider all potential housing and employment sites identified within the Wealden district. The methodology used in the assessment of sites as well as findings from the assessment process are set out below. All sites within the SHELAA have been recently reviewed, and re assessed where appropriate, in order to support ongoing work associated with the draft Wealden Local Plan:
- Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) Main Report (January 2026)
- Appendix 1 – Site Assessments
- Appendix 2 – Windfall Assessment
The main report details the methodology adopted, with associated detail in appendices. Appendix 1 specifically provides the site assessments for all sites submitted to the Council for development up until 31st October 2025.
Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Land Availability Assessment (GTTSP LAA)
Alongside the SHELAA which consider sites for housing and employment purposes, the Council has also undertaken a specific assessment in relation to sites submitted for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation. This is necessary given the needs identified in the District, and the bespoke assessment work undertaken in collaboration with other local planning authorities across East Sussex.
The report below includes details of a joint methodology adopted, as well as site assessments undertaken:
The assessment of land availability is an ongoing process, undertaken based on evidence available at the time of assessment. That evidence is being updated as part of the Council’s work on the emerging Local Plan, and is available here, including details of the Sustainability Appraisal process.
Should you have any comments on either LAA such as factual errors, or wish to submit further information in relation to your site, then please use this form to submit comments.
Should you have any comments on either LAA such as factual errors, or wish to submit further information in relation to your site, then please use this form to submit comments.
Should you wish to withdraw your site from the LAA process then please use the form below.
You can also view all sites included within the SHELAA and GTTSP LAA on our online mapping system. To use the mapping system, click on the following link:
In order to see the relevant layers, go to ‘map features’ icon in the top left-hand corner of the screen and click ‘planning policy’ to toggle the layers on/off as required.
Call for Sites
The Council have held an ongoing ‘Call for Sites’ in recent years, inviting landowners, site promoters and other stakeholders to submit land for assessment through the LAA process.
That process has now closed and all sites submitted will be assessed through the relevant assessment procedure. Any updates to the assessments will be published above, as available.
Should you have any queries on the process, or wish to advise on changes to site submissions already made, please contact shelaa@wealden.gov.uk or contact the Planning Policy Team on 01892 602008.