Neighbourhood Plan to Receive £80,000 Cash Boost

Town councillors have agreed to inject an additional £80,000 funding for the production of a Neighbourhood Plan for Hailsham to help shape the development and future growth of the town and local area.

Hailsham Town Council agreed to the funding at its meeting held on Wednesday evening [30 March] and the Neighbourhood Planning Committee, which consists of local councillors and residents, will be working fast to move the project forward in the coming weeks.

With the proposed construction of 9,380 new houses in Hailsham in the future, the Neighbourhood Plan will consider what sort of homes should be provided and the level of infrastructure required to support both new development and the existing community.

In developing the Plan, which will be developed within the context of the Wealden Local Plan, national and local planning policies and requirements, the Neighbourhood Planning team will also take into consideration local environment and sustainability, design, traffic and transport, economy, services and facilities.

Councillor Paul Soane, chairman of the Neighbourhood Planning Committee, welcomes the funds pledged by the Town Council which he states will help shape Hailsham for a stronger and more prosperous future. He said: “The £80,000 will ensure that, through significant engagement from the local community, the development of a Neighbourhood Plan for Hailsham comes into fruition.”

“Our team will now engage and enthuse local residents to speak up and be part of the Neighbourhood Plan development. This is a major opportunity for all of us to shape the future of Hailsham’s development and the hope is to create a swell of support from the public.”

Town Clerk John Harrison commented: “Hailsham has grown considerably in recent years and the Hailsham Neighbourhood Plan, once produced and ratified, will play an important role in the planning process, with policies which must be duly considered taken into account by law.”

A series of public information and awareness-raising events are scheduled to take place in the near future, details of which will be announced soon.