Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

last updated: 14 August 2025

Find out why we need a Local Plan, how the proposals have been produced and what they mean for Castle Point. This page will be updated throughout the consultation, as new common questions arrise. 

What is a Local Plan?

A Local Plan is a long term plan which sets out a positive vision for the Borough and identifies where and how development should take place in the future. Having a Local Plan helps to ensure that the entire area is considered and that the delivery of development accords with the needs of that area. There is a requirement by Government for Local Plans to be kept up to date.

What is the Castle Point Plan?

The Castle Point Plan is a 17 year plan covering the period 2026-2043 that will include:

• Identifying where development should be located including housing, infrastructure and commercial
• Policies to safeguard the environment and enable climate change mitigation
• Policies to secure high quality design
• Specify requirements on housing need within the Borough

All with the intention of ensuring that new and existing residents of the Borough have somewhere they are proud of to live and work, and to encourage more people to visit

Why does Castle Point need a Local Plan?

The Council has a statutory responsibility to have an up-to-date local plan under section 19 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The Council currently does not have an up-to-date local plan and is reliant on a 1998 local plan and national policies.

This means that the Borough is vulnerable to inappropriate, unplanned and speculative development and planning by appeal. It also means that the Council will struggle to make the best possible case for investment in the Borough, in particular new infrastructure.

Therefore, an up-to-date local plan is the only way to meet our legal responsibility, manage these risks and create greater certainty.

What happens if we don’t develop a Local Plan?

The Government may decide to intervene and prepare a Local Plan on behalf of the Borough.

Why is the Council Consulting?

The Council is now consulting on the latest version of The Castle Point Plan. This stage is known as ‘Regulation 19’ consultation. This is the next step in the development of the Castle Point Plan and takes into account previous consultation feedback and evidence-based documentation produced to support the production of the Castle Point Plan Regulation 19 Draft.

This consultation differs from previous Regulation 18 consultation in that any comments received will be reviewed by a government appointed Planning Inspector and are limited to whether the Plan meets the four tests of soundness as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and is legally compliant with national policy, guidance and legislation.

What can I comment on?

At Regulation 19 stage, any comments must be made on the following matters:

•   Soundness – this includes if the plan has been positively prepared, is it justified, effective and consistent with national planning policy?
• Legally Compliant – does it meet the legal requirements made under the relevant statutes?
• Compliant with Duty to Cooperate – has the Council engaged and worked effectively with neighbouring authorities and all relevant statutory bodies?

  These matters relate to planning legislation, policy and guidance that the Planning Inspector will also rely on to determine if the Plan is capable of being adopted.

We are therefore seeking your views on whether you feel the Castle Point Plan Regulation 19 Draft is ‘legally compliant’ and meets the test of ‘Soundness’ as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Why should I comment?

Unlike previous consultations, we are required to ask specific questions which gives the community an opportunity to comment on how the Castle Point Plan Regulation 19 Draft has been prepared, whether its aims are achievable, and whether it is based on robust evidence. It is therefore really important that everyone who has views on the legal compliance and soundness of the Castle Point Plan Regulation 19 Draft document gets involved in this consultation. Please have your say!

Do I have to answer every question?

Every response, no matter how brief, helps to shape the final plan. We encourage you to consider every question but you are welcome to only respond to the questions that matter most to you.

What happens to my comments?

Following this consultation, the Local Plan together with all the consultation responses received, will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination. It will be at this stage that the appointed inspector will recommend whether modifications to the Local Plan are appropriate, taking account of the responses submitted during this consultation.

How can I make comments?

You can send in your comments by:

Online: https://consultation.castlepoint.gov.uk/cpplan/

Email: CPPlan@castlepoint.gov.uk

Post: Castle Point Plan Consultation, Planning Department, Castle Point Borough Council, Kiln Road, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 1TF

How has the community been involved so far?

The Castle Point Plan has been driven by actively engaging with residents. This has been summarised here. The Council have made extensive efforts to widely advertise the previous consultation (Regulation 18 Issues and Options Consultation) including sending letters and emails, holding public consultation events, local adverts across the Borough and social media. 

This resulted in over  1,400 responses to the Initial Issues and Options Engagement and around 1,300 responses received during the Regulation 18 Issues and Options consultation. The Castle Point Plan reflects local priorities including protecting open and green spaces. Residents told us to focus on urban development and look towards the regeneration of employment land.

Where can I look at the evidence base that supports the Castle Point Plan?

All documents included in the evidence base can be viewed here. 

What is the Government’s target for housing in Castle Point?

The Standard Methodology requirement for Castle Point is 686 homes per year (as of June 2025).

How many homes does the plan provide?

The Council undertook a Local Housing Needs Assessment in December 2023 which identified a need for around 255 homes per year in Castle Point. Changes to the NPPF in December 2024, removed the ability for Councils to set a lower housing target, than that set out by the Standard Methodology.

However, taking into account the extensive evidence base that has been prepared to support the Castle Point Plan, it is not considered appropriate, sustainable or in keeping with the NPPF when read as a whole, to deliver this scale of growth in Castle Point.

The Castle Point Plan Regulation 19 Draft makes provision for around 364 new homes a year (around 6,196 homes to 2043) which is sufficient to meet the need for housing arising from the Local Housing Needs Assessment but is insufficient for the standard methodology requirement for housing set out in the NPPF 2025.

While the Plan does not meet the standard method housing requirement, this does not automatically mean that it is not sound. A sound plan must be based on a robust and credible evidence base, and reflect the realities and constraints of the area. The proposed housing figure is justified by robust evidence which the Council will set out during the examination. 

How do you know what types of homes to provide?

An update to the Local Housing Needs Assessment, Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment and a Specialist and Supporting Housing Assessment (prepared by Essex County Council) has informed policies within the Castle Point Plan to ensure a mix of housing types are delivered for our future residents. This includes ensuring the needs of our ageing population and those unable to afford to buy a home are met.

What does 150 dwelling units per hectare look like?

Some of the sites in the Castle Point Plan are proposed for development at 150 dwelling units per hectare (“duph”). There are recent examples of sites delivered at 150 dwelling units per hectare in the Borough. These include:

•   Warren and Tanglewood, 1 Hall crescent, Hadleigh (146 duph), 
• 39-43 High Street, Canvey (133 duph) and;
• land rear of 316-320 High Road, Benfleet (175 duph). 

These are all three storey developments with car parking provision. Further details are set out in the Densities and Capacity Study.

How does the density in Castle Point compare with the density in other places?

The dwelling density in Castle Point is 8.56 dwellings per hectare. Comparatively, the dwelling density in Southend-on-Sea is 19.93 dwellings per hectare. In outer London the dwelling density is 16.3 dwellings per hectare and in inner London is 46.7 dwellings per hectare.

The proposals in the Castle Point Plan will increase the dwelling density to 9.93 dwellings per hectare by 2043. It should be noted that all Local Authorities also must put in place local plans, so their dwelling densities will also be increasing.

How much growth has taken place in Castle Point over the last 10 years?

Over the last 10 years, 990 new homes (net) have been delivered across Castle Point. This represents a growth rate of 3%, which is low compared to the national growth rate of 9.5%.

The growth has been distributed between the towns as follows:

•   Benfleet 39%
• Canvey Island 25%
• Daws Heath 5%
• Hadleigh 15%
• Thundersley 16%

How much has the population in Castle Point grown over the last 10 year?

The population of Castle Point has grown by around 1,400 people over the 10 years from 2014 to 2024. The population growth rate has been around 1.6%. The national population growth rate was around 6.9% over the same period.  

Why do we need more homes if our population has not grown much?

Castle Point has an average household size of 2.33 people per home. This has decreased from 2.34 people per home in 2011 and is below the national average of 2.35 people per home.

This means that more homes are now needed to accommodate the same number of people, as fewer people are living in each household. This is before any population increase is considered.

This need is driven particularly by the number of one-person households aged 66+, which increased from 14.7% to 16.4% of households in Castle Point over the period 2011 – 2021.

Furthermore, whilst over the last 10 years the population has been quite stable, the population of Castle Point is expected to grow by around 7,800 people by 2043. This is a growth of 8.7% over 17 years.

Why aren’t Green Belt Sites included within the Castle Point Plan?

Residents told us they would prefer development being focused on the existing urban areas and that they do not support development in the Green Belt.

The Council has undertaken a Green Belt Review in accordance with the requirements of the Government. After a thorough review, backed up by strong evidence (as set out in the Housing Capacity Topic Paper), the Council has found several clear reasons, when considered together, to rule out Green Belt sites for development. These are: 

• Evidence of the value of the natural environment in Castle Point.
•   Evidence of the value of heritage assets in Castle Point.
•   Evidence of the role of greenfield sites in providing flood mitigation.
•   Evidence of the capacity of the highway network in and around Castle Point.
•   Evidence of the impact of the Green Belt sites that were promoted to us would have on the landscape and on the number of additional cars that will enter the local highway network.
•   Evidence that parts of our Green Belt fulfil a strong Green Belt purpose.

The full suite of evidence base documents can be found here. The Council is aware that the Green Belt isn’t just important for planning; it also plays a big role in protecting nature and providing space for all people to enjoy.

How were the new homes, businesses and other facilities locations decided?

The Council has taken an urban first approach to development. In accordance with national planning policy, it was imperative that the Castle Point Plan is as sustainable as possible. This includes minimising the need for travel, maximizing the opportunities for walking, cycling and public transport and having access to jobs, shops, services and facilities. We have also prioritised supporting our existing retail, business and employment centres. A number of sites are allocated for mixed use development to ensure that the development is cohesive and sustainable.

We have also had to ensure that the Plan meets all the governments requirements, and that any development is deliverable. To do this we have ensured a range of sites of different size, type and location.

Why is Canvey Island seeing so much development?

Residents said they’d rather see new development focused on existing built-up areas and improving existing business sites. That’s exactly what the Council has been working on.

We undertook a thorough assessment of the Borough’s urban and employment areas and identified sites across the Borough that could deliver homes and renewed employment space on this basis.

There are considerable opportunities on Canvey to deliver urban renewal, especially in the town centre and at West Canvey.

In terms of the town centre, there is the opportunity to refresh the town centre, improving its vitality and footfall. We are similarly looking at Hadleigh Town Centre in this regard, however several of the opportunities for redevelopment in Hadleigh Town Centre have already been delivered in the last 10 years. Examples of this can be seen on the north-side of the London Road between the junction with Rectory Road and the Borough’s boundary with Southend.

At West Canvey there are over 10 hectares of land allocated for employment purposes that are not being used at this time. There are also other areas of land that are not being used effectively. This provides the opportunity to look at the regeneration of the whole of the Charfleets area, as there is scope to move uses around and create new business space before existing space is lost.

It is expected that around 30% of the land area at West Canvey will be redeveloped for mixed use commercial and residential development. By only seeking to develop 30% of the area for mixed use development, it will leave 70% of the space for those uses that do not combine well with residential uses, such as the steel manufacturing currently taking place.

To enable this development to occur a master plan will be prepared. This will set out those areas that are proposed for redevelopment and those areas that will be retained for industrial uses. It will identify how parking provision will be addressed throughout the area, and how the area will be serviced by improved public transport provision, and other community services.

It is important to remember that the growth will not be delivered all at once but over 17 years. Master plans will be prepared for the town centre and for West Canvey which will guide growth and ensure that it is supported by appropriate infrastructure.

How does the Castle Point Plan respond to the historical, ecological and climate priorities expressed by residents?

The Council has a duty to preserve the historical environment and take local action against climate change, and to enhance and protect biodiversity within the Borough. The Castle Point Plan is supporting this responsibility by:

• Protecting and preserving assets of historical importance throughout the Borough
• Planning for and encouraging a culture change to using sustainable transport
• Reducing the need to travel for local services and facilities by encouraging development in sustainable locations
• Flood risk management and prevention 
• Prioritising green and blue infrastructure
• Ensuring developments deliver biodiversity net gain

Requiring new development to minimise the use of energy during construction as well as reaching a high standard of energy and water efficiency making homes warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer and cost of running the homes cheaper.

How does the Castle Point Plan support local business?

A key priority reflected in the Castle Point Plan is ensuring that the vitality of local centres are protected and improved. Promotion of tourism and development on strategic employment land is encouraged where required. Ensuring that the Borough has the education, skill and learning facilities needed to support the next generation. A real focus of the Castle Point Plan is ensuring that the range of businesses contributing to the local economy continues to thrive and grow through strategic development and investment.

How does the Castle Point Plan aid in building healthy and sustainable communities?

Healthy and sustainable communities are at the heart of the Castle Point Plan. Each policy has been carefully considered to ensure that we are getting the best out of the development for the Borough. The policies encourage enhancement and provision of green spaces, improvement of local centres, sustainable transport and active travel, restrictions on location of hot food takeaways, protecting local shops, development of local skills and securing nature recovery and biodiversity net gain. All these initiatives contribute to creating healthy and sustainable places for the communities within Castle Point.

Will there be a third road for Canvey?

Access improvements for Canvey are a strategic matter which cannot be addressed through the Castle Point Plan alone, as any growth is only a proportion of the demand for those access improvements. The bulk of the demand come from the existing 16,000 households on Canvey.

However, the strategic need for access improvements to Canvey Island have been identified through the Essex Local Transport Plan 4, which within the Implementation Plan for South Essex specifically identifies three projects which will improve accessibility to and from the Island. The Local Transport Plan sits alongside the Castle Point Plan, and the development in the Castle Point Plan will make a contribution to relevant transport improvement projects identified in the Local Transport Plan. 

Will the infrastructure be delivered first?

The Castle Point Plan is accompanied by an Infrastructure Delivery Plan. This identifies all the infrastructure needed to support the proposed growth.

In some instances, the infrastructure will be delivered first, or alongside the first few homes in a new development. This is common in relation to highway infrastructure.

Other times infrastructure will be delivered as a development progresses. This is to ensure that the new infrastructure or the services being provided in a facility are sustainable from the start. As an example, it is common for a school to be provided when a development is close to being able to sustain 1 class per year group, as the school can sustain the salaries of the teachers needed at that time.

Sometimes, financial contributions from two or more developments may be needed to provide a piece of infrastructure. This may mean the infrastructure is delivered when the last site is coming forward for development. 

Why isn’t the area to the north-west of Thundersley included in the Castle Point Plan?

Firstly, the area to the north-west of Thundersley is in the Green Belt. As part of the Issues and Options Consultation residents told us they did not support development in the Green Belt as can be viewed in the Issues and Options Consultation Statement, July 2025 .

Secondly, the area to the north-west of Thundersley is not accessible, and work undertaken by the Council has not found a reasonable solution for making the site accessible. These are set out below:

Access from the existing urban area – this would see more cars on the residential roads around Thundersley and would put pressure on the northern arm of the Tarpots junction and the western arm of the Woodmans Arms junctions.

Utilising existing access points on the A127  – this would create left in, left out movements on a section of the A127 which is very busy already. This would increase the risk of accidents as cars seek to merge with oncoming traffic – causing a risk to life and unplanned delays for other road users. This would also create additional traffic at the Fairglen and Rayleigh Weir junctions, as for example someone leaving and heading to Basildon in the morning would need to double back by going around the Rayleigh Weir junction to return in the evening. Both junctions already experience peak time pressures.

Utilising existing access points on the A130 – again, this would create a left in, left out movement on a section of the A130 which is very busy. Furthermore, it is likely that such an access point would be around the Rayleigh Spur junction where cars are manoeuvring and accelerating. There is a particular risk of accidents in this location in seeking to introduce further merging traffic. This presents a risk to life and would cause unplanned delays for other road users. It would also create additional traffic at the Fairglen, Rayleigh Spur and Sadlers Farm junctions, as traffic would need to double back either in the morning or evening peaks to use the access.

Create a new junction on the A127 – there is insufficient distance between the Fairglen Interchange and the Rayleigh Weir to create a new junction with safe arrangements for merging traffic.

  Amend the Rayleigh Spur to have a fourth arm – there is a by-pass lane in this location which is critical to the effective function of the interchange between the A130 and the A127. Removing this by-pass lane would increase traffic congestion around the Fairglen and Rayleigh Spur roundabouts. Considerable remodelling of this junction would be required to enable the strategic highway to continue operating whilst providing access to this site, with bridging or tunnelling arrangements likely to be required. At this time, no design has been provided for this junction which would deliver this. Any junction remodelling will be significant in cost and would affect the feasibility of development in this location, especially as all other community infrastructure and utilities infrastructure would also need to be provided.

North-west Thundersley does not therefore meet the basic requirements of national planning policy in terms of being accessible or being capable of being made accessible. This evidence is included within the Transport Assessment, July 2025, Green Belt Sites Transport Assessment, July 2025 and a previous Transport Study. The Council is required to put forward a plan which is capable of being delivered, and it cannot currently demonstrate that north-west Thundersley can be delivered given the challenges with access, and the implications that the costs associated with that would also have on the feasibility of development.

Does Castle Point consider the Castle Point Plan to be legally sound?

Officers’ professional opinion is that the Castle Point Plan represents a balanced approach to development that is led by the outcomes of community engagement and is sufficiently developed in line with planning legislation and policy. Ultimately, it is the role of the Planning Inspectorate to assess whether the Castle Point Plan is legally compliant and meets the tests of soundness.

What happens next?

Following the end of the consultation the Council will take all comments into consideration, compiling a list of modifications based on the comments along with a document containing all of the responses received to submit to the Planning Inspectorate.

The Council will consider submitting the Castle Point Plan in November 2025, following which it will be submitted to Government for Examination with formal adoption targeted for September 2026.