24 October 2016

Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.

Residents in East Grinstead have voted in favour of using Neighbourhood Plans to determine local planning applications.

A town wide Referendum was held on Thursday 20 October 2015 and the community was asked to vote on the following question:

‘Do you want Mid Sussex District Council to use the neighbourhood plan for East Grinstead to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?’

The people of East Grinstead voted overwhelmingly in favour of the plan, with 4105 residents voting ‘Yes’ and 328 residents voting ‘No’. The turnout was 21.4%.

Neighbourhood Plans are a way for local people to decide the future of their town or village. Town and Parish Councils work alongside local residents to produce the plans, which set out general planning policies, such as where new homes and offices should be built and what they should look like.

Once a Neighbourhood Plan is complete, a town or village wide referendum is held to ask all residents what they think of the proposed plan. If more than 50% of people in the area who vote in the Referendum are in favour then the Neighbourhood Plan will be used to decide future planning applications.

Mid Sussex District Council will now meet on 2 November 2016 when the East Grinstead Neighbourhood Plan will be ‘made’. The plan will then be used by the District Council to decide planning applications in East Grinstead.

For more information on the Neighbourhood Planning process contact the Mid Sussex District Council Planning Policy team on 01444 477391 or email Alice.Henstock@midsussex.gov.uk.