Nearly six years in the making, you are being given the opportunity now have your chance to vote on whether or not to accept the aspirations of the Hailsham Neighbourhood Development Plan…
What is the Hailsham Neighbourhood Development Plan?
The Neighbourhood Plan sets out the local community’s aspirations for Hailsham over the period to 2028 and establishes policies in relation to land use and development. These are policies that will influence future planning applications and decisions in the area.
The Neighbourhood Plan covers the town of Hailsham and entire parish area. It was prepared by the Town Council with extensive input from the local community, reflecting local issues, concerns and aspirations.
Policies in the Neighbourhood Plan relate to land use and development matters. The purpose of these policies is to ensure that any development that does come forward is of a high quality and is right for Hailsham, improving quality of life for existing and new residents. It covers a range of issues, including housing, design, the town centre, business, transport and green space.
What is the Vision for Hailsham?
The Neighbourhood Plan embodies the principles of sustainable development and seeks to enhance quality of life for all. We aspire to Hailsham becoming a truly ‘great place’. At the heart of every successful place is good accessibility for all, a thriving town centre, provision of a wide range of services, good proximity to these, and high quality, well-designed buildings and public spaces.
The vision for Hailsham is that it will become a ‘ten-minute’ town, where people of all ages and abilities can easily access the services and facilities they need for day-to-day life, including schools, healthcare, shops, leisure and cultural activities. We aspire to Hailsham becoming more socially inclusive and cohesive, with a range of housing choices and employment opportunities catering for all.
New development should be well integrated with existing communities, provide supporting infrastructure, make walking and cycling a safe an attractive proposition, and protect important open spaces, habitats and areas of biodiversity.
What the Neighbourhood Plan IS and ISN’T
The Hailsham Neighbourhood Development Plan IS NOT:
- Directly related to Wealden District Council’s ‘Hailsham Aspires’ plans for the Vicarage Field
- The same as Wealden District Council’s ‘Local Plan’, which determines where and how many houses will be built in the district
- A way of preventing or controlling the number of new housing
The Hailsham Neighbourhood Development Plan IS:
- A plan that helps to determine the type of housing and infrastructure that can be built in the Hailsham parish
- A plan drawn up after several years of work by the Town Council, members of the public and through extensive consultation with residents
If the Hailsham Neighbourhood Development Plan is passed at referendum, it will become a statutory document that has to, by law, feed into planning decisions for Hailsham. Additionally, if it is passed at referendum, the Town Council will receive a greater proportion of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds (from 15% to 25%), thus ensuring that it is spent in the Hailsham parish.