I have worked on a project in the Wealden district, the extension of a cafe on a country estate.
Much of the Wealden district lies within the High Weald National Landscape, and part of it falls within the South Downs National Park, so landscape and heritage considerations shape a great deal of the work here.
- Council planning pages
- Wealden District Council
- Local Plan
- The Wealden development plan, made up of the Core Strategy Local Plan, saved policies of the 1998 Local Plan and the Affordable Housing Delivery Local Plan (Core Strategy Local Plan adopted in 2013 and the Affordable Housing Delivery Local Plan adopted in 2016, both in force alongside saved 1998 policies, while the council prepares a new Local Plan looking ahead to 2042 (a focused draft was consulted on under Regulation 18 in early 2026, ahead of the Regulation 19 stage). Part of the district lies within the South Downs National Park, where the National Park Authority is the planning authority). Local Plan page. A new Local Plan is being prepared.
- What to submit with an application
- Local validation requirements.
- Article 4 directions
- Wealden has a number of Article 4 directions that remove permitted development rights in defined areas, so planning permission is needed for works that would not normally require it. They are listed by parish and include directions in conservation areas and across several parishes, some dating back many years. Anyone affected should check the position for a specific property before assuming permitted development rights apply. Article 4 directions.
- Community Infrastructure Levy
- Wealden is a Community Infrastructure Levy charging authority. Its CIL charging schedule was adopted in 2015 and came into effect in April 2016, and applies to qualifying development permitted after that date, at rates set per square metre that vary by location and type and are index-linked each year, alongside Section 106 planning obligations for site-specific matters such as affordable housing. Community Infrastructure Levy page.
- Conservation areas and heritage
- Heritage and landscape matter across the district. There are 33 conservation areas in the part of the district for which the council is the planning authority, designated in 2017, with a further 8 in the part within the South Downs National Park, and over 2,200 listed buildings on the National Heritage List for England. Much of the district lies within the High Weald National Landscape (formerly an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Listed building consent is required for works to a listed building, and special care is taken with development in conservation areas and the National Landscape, where changes must preserve or enhance the existing character. Conservation pages.
- Local guidance
- The council's Wealden Design Guide is adopted as a supplementary planning document and is an important consideration in deciding planning applications, with applicants expected to show how they have addressed it. It sits alongside the Local Plan and the council's other planning policy documents. Supplementary planning documents.
What this means for your project
In the Wealden district, a lot of the work I do is shaped by the High Weald National Landscape and, in the south of the district, by the South Downs National Park, as well as by the number of conservation areas and listed buildings. If your property is in a conservation area, is listed, or lies within the National Landscape, expect the council to look closely at scale, materials, detailing and the effect on the wider setting, and expect the landscaping to be treated as part of the proposal rather than an extra. There is a Community Infrastructure Levy here, so a larger scheme may carry a CIL charge as well as any Section 106 obligations, which is worth checking early. I check the current position for your specific address before any drawings are prepared.
Last checked: 27 June 2026. page reviewed Planning policy, charges and local designations change over time, so please confirm the current position with the council before relying on this summary.