Welcome to the Neighbourhood Planning section of our website. On these pages, you will find the latest information on the progress of developing a Neighbourhood Plan for Hailsham.
>>Go to HAILSHAM NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN WEBSITE
>>CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE UPDATES! (put “Subscribe” in title of email)
The Neighbourhood Planning Committee has submitted a comprehensive response to the revised Wealden District Council Draft Local Plan consultation.
The draft Wealden Local Plan, which was approved recently via a formal Regulation 18 consultation, outlines the preferred vision and contains proposals for guiding future development in the Wealden district, including Hailsham. The plan outlines strategic and non-strategic planning policies to guide development and locations the district council proposes for new homes, employment, community services and infrastructure to help meet the district’s needs. The plan also aims to protect Wealden’s natural environment and contributes towards the mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
The Town Council has worked with consultants Troy Planning & Design to comment on the Draft Local Plan and has addressed how proposals in the Plan will impact primarily on Hailsham and its residents. The consultancy had previously supported the Town Council when preparing the Hailsham Neighbourhood Plan, which was adopted via a public referendum held in May 2021.
A hard copy of the Town Council’s response to the Draft Local Plan is available to read at the Town Council Offices in Market Street (Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm).
The repsonse can be downloaded via the link below:
A referendum was held on Thursday 6th May 2021 when electors for the whole of the Hailsham parish were given an opportunity to vote on whether or not to accept the Hailsham Neighbourhood Development Plan.
The community-led plan for Hailsham received overwhelming support at the Referendum, with a turnout of 30% voting in favour of the plan – a total of 72.8% of votes.
Now that the people of Hailsham have voted in favour of the Hailsham Neighbourhood Development Plan, it will be formally adopted by Wealden District Council in the near future. When looking at Hailsham planning applications up to 2028, the Local Planning Authority will have to take into consideration the policies contained within the neighbourhood plan.
>> View Referendum Statement | View Notice of Referendum
>> Download the Referendum Version of the Plan | Download MINI GUIDE
>> View General Information/FAQS | Link to Neighbourhood Plan website
>>View Final Habitats Regulation Assessment for the Hailsham Neighbourhood Plan
>>View Hailsham Neighbourhood Plan (2018-2028): INITIAL COMMENTS OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
In accordance with Regulation 16, residents and organisations were invited to comment on the submitted Neighbourhood Plan. The consultation period took place from Tuesday 7th May 2019 and closed on Tuesday 18th June 2019.
It is the responsibility of the District Council to collect all comments and representations (submitted to an independent examiner for inspection of the Plan documents), before proceeding to referendum later this year.
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TOWN COUNCIL ADOPTS HAILSHAM NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANThe final steps towards the publication of a Neighbourhood Plan for Hailsham are coming ever closer, following the adoption of the final draft Plan by the Town Council at its meeting held on 12th April.
Town councillors voted in favour of the final document, which is based on what infrastructure and development residents have suggested is needed to sustain future housing growth in the Hailsham area, taking into consideration local environment and sustainability, design, housing type, traffic and transport, economy, services and facilities.
The Hailsham Neighbourhood Plan will next be submitted to Wealden District Council for formal approval. If accepted, the Plan will then be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for review.
Upon completion of the latter inspection the plan will then be put to a referendum by Hailsham Parish residents.
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HAILSHAM NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN PRE-SUBMISSION DRAFT: PUBLIC DROP-IN EVENT
Residents were invited to attend our public drop-in session at the Quintins Centre on Friday 19th January to find out more about the Neighbourhood Plan and its progress.
The event, which was a follow-up to the public consultation which took place at the Civic Community Hall in November allowing people who missed it to find out more about the pre-submission Draft Plan.
The event was one of various public feedback exercises being undertaken by the Neighbourhood Planning Committee during the current public consultation period, which ended on Friday 26th January.
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HAILSHAM NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN: PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON PRE-SUBMISSION DRAFT
Residents attended a public consultation drop-in session to find out more about the Hailsham Neighbourhood Plan and its progress, which took place at the Civic Community Hall in Vicarage Lane on Saturday 25th November.
The event marked the start of an 8-week pre-submission consultation period on the draft plan, which ended on Friday 26th January 2018.
View PROMOTIONAL LEAFLET
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THANKS TO RESIDENTS WHO ATTENDED LATEST CONSULTATION DROP-IN EVENTS
Residents who attended our most recent public consultation events held at the Civic Community Hall on 11th and 18th August were given the opportunity to find out more about the draft policies of the Hailsham Neighbourhood Plan and help the Neighbourhood Planning Committee identify priorities for local infrastructure and other provision in the future.
More information about the neighbourhood planning process was available, including the Committee’s achievements to date and residents were able to view maps and display stands, ask Committee members any questions about the way forward with the Plan and have their say on how future housing development can best be accommodated in the future.
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>>See our revised TIMETABLE & PROJECT PLAN
>>View Draft GROWTH AREAS: EMERGING POLICIES
DOCUMENTS JUST IN!
>>See our latest CONSULTATION BOARDS
>>Plan Update: REPORT ON PROGRESS (May 2017)
>>Draft Policies: RESPONSE TO TOWN COUNCIL COMMENTS
The following vision took on board feedback obtained from residents at a public engagement event held at the Hailsham East Community Centre in February:
“Hailsham will be recognised as a destination for leisure, shopping and culture. It will have embraced and harnessed its growth potential and benefitted from the necessary infrastructure to support and retain its strong sense of community, civic pride and social wellbeing. Hailsham will be established as a balanced, well-proportioned and prosperous town offering its residents a high quality of life.”
>>View FULL VISION & OBJECTIVES
>>Go to HAILSHAM NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN WEBSITE
COMMENTS PROVIDED AT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENT REVEAL STRONG SUPPORT FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
>>Vision & Objectives Workshop FINDINGS REPORT – see the statistics!
Residents were invited to attend an interactive drop-in session to discuss and find out more about the progress of the Hailsham Neighbourhood Development Plan at the Hailsham East Community Centre on 9th February. At the public consultation, organisers were on hand to explain more about the neighbourhood planning process — including recent achievements — and explore how the Town Council and you — the residents — can take it forward successfully.
Statistics obtained from an analysis of the comments put forward at the public consultation event have revealed strong support for the Neighbourhood Planning Committee’s objectives.
>>View Vision & Objectives Workshop FINDINGS REPORT.
Results from an interactive ‘clicker’ poll which indicated that 64% of participants the redevelopment of brownfield sites and infill sites within the urban areas is the best way to accommodate new development in Hailsham. 41% of participants said they are happy with the community facilities in the town – although additional investment is needed – with 27% using facilities outside of Hailsham in nearby towns such as Eastbourne.
Find out more and get an in-depth report on the poll findings by visiting our Neighbourhood Plan public consultation page.
>>VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS (courtesy of John Stone) | PHOTO GALLERY
