Sustainability Appraisal/Strategic Environmental Assessment (SA/SEA)

Dear Sir or Madam
Rother District Proposed Submission Development and Site Allocations Local Plan
Thank you for your email of 26 October 2018 inviting comments on the above document.

As the Government's adviser on the historic environment Historic England is keen to ensure that the protection of the historic environment is fully taken into account at all stages and levels of the local planning process, and welcomes the opportunity to comment upon this key planning document.

Historic England's comments are set out detail below:

The adopted Local Plan Core Strategy contains a range of detailed policies, relating to Strategic Objectives, Spatial Strategies for significant character areas, and Core Policies for the historic built environment (e.g. Policies EN1 - EN4) that, in our view, meet the test of providing a positive strategy for the historic environment required by the NPPF paragraph 185 (July 2018). While there are not specific policies for the historic environment within the draft Development and Site Allocations DPD, we are content that alongside the Core Strategy policies there are sufficient references throughout the policies in the draft DaSA Local Plan to protecting and enhancing historic character and heritage assets (e.g. DHG9 (v), DHG11 (i), DEC1 (i), BEX2 (v), BEX4 (vi), BEX5 (v), CAT1 (v), FAC1 (vii), NOR1 (iv), etc. ) that the historic
environment will be appropriately taken account of in development management and site planning decision-making.

We suggest, however, that an additional bullet-point is added to Policy RHA1: Land at Stoneworks Cottages, Rye Harbour relating to the protection and potential enhancement of the settings of the Grade II listed Holy Spirits church and the Schoolhouse as referred to in paragraph 11.198, in view of the proximity of these heritage assets to the allocation site.

We are content that the Strategic Environmental Assessment (Sustainability Appraisal Environment Report) appropriately assesses the potential impacts on the historic environment of the policies and programmes set out in the draft DaSA Local Plan.

These comments are based on the information provided by you at this time and for the avoidance of doubt does not reflect our obligation to advise you on, and potentially object to, any specific development proposal which may subsequently arise from this or later versions of the plan and which may, in our view, have adverse effects on the historic environment.