After more than six years work by the Town Council, volunteers and professional advisers, residents voted ‘yes’ to adopt the Hailsham Neighbourhood Development Plan at a referendum held last Thursday [6th May].
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.
The Hailsham Neighbourhood Development Plan, written by a group made up of members from the community and from Hailsham Town Council’s Neighbourhood Planning Committee, proposes a number of policies relating to what infrastructure and development 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 plan does not identify housing numbers or growth as such (which is the role of the Wealden District Council planning authority) and is based on the concept of the ’10-Minute Town’, promoting social cohesion, health and well-being in the local community.
Town Clerk John Harrison commented: “It’s been a very long journey with the development of a neighbourhood plan for Hailsham and to reach referendum stage. The fact that the majority of residents taking part in the referendum voted in favour of adopting the plan is a great achievement for the local community after the amount of work they have contributed from the outset.”
“Thank you to everybody who voted in the referendum last week – this means that local people will have more of a say on how the town will grow and change between now and 2028,” said Councillor Mary Laxton, chairman of the Neighbourhood Planning Committee. “It also means that Hailsham may receive a higher percentage of funding from developers which can be reinvested into the town.”
“We’re extremely grateful to all residents who made the effort to vote in the referendum and to everyone in our town who have worked so hard and dedicated a lot of time for years to consult on, promote and produce this plan. The recently announced result is a clear indication that the Hailsham Neighbourhood Development Plan has been formally brought to life.”
“It’s been a tense time in the lead up to the vote, but we achieved the result we wanted.”
To view the Referendum Version of the Hailsham Neighbourhood Development Plan, visit www.wealden.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/planning-policy/neighbourhood-planning/neighbourhood-plans/hailsham-neighbourhood-plan/.
Terry Hall, Communications Officer
Hailsham Town Council, Market Street, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AE
Telephone: 01323 841702 | Email: terry.hall@hailsham-tc.gov.uk