13 August 2013

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.

At a Special Council last night East Grinstead Town Councillors approved the draft Neighbourhood Plan for consultation.

The Plan, which runs to 143 pages, sets out the policies the Town Council will expect to be adhered to for all development over the next 20 years.

Policies cover the Town Centre, the Economy, Accessibility and Movement, Housing and Development, and the Environment, and have been drawn up following the surveys, workshops and consultations that have been undertaken with residents over the past 15 months.

The Working Group of councillors has listened to the views of the residents in producing the Draft Plan which will now go forward for a 6 week consultation period starting on Tuesday 27 August. The Council will be making copies of the Plan available in many clubs and public places in the town along with the online version and static exhibitions at the Library, East Court and Chequer Mead.

All residents are urged to read the Plan and to submit comments before the closing date. All comments will be collated and considered, and then, if the Plan is able to do so, it will come back to Council to be approved before going forward for examination against the Mid Sussex Plan and the National Plans.

The final step will be a referendum for residents to decide whether to adopt the Plan which will set out the policy requirements for future planning applications.

Cllr Norman Webster, chairman of the Working Group, said: “This is the most important Plan to be brought forward from the Town Council and I hope the public will read it, comment and be able to support it. A “Yes” vote at referendum is important to ensure that this town is protected from unplanned speculative development. This is the only document which will be able to do this, so we are keen that the public provides feedback now.

“This Plan has not been dreamt up by the Council but is the result of the opinions and comments gathered from the public surveys carried out to date. We hope therefore the majority of people will support it, as a “No” vote will mean we have no Plan and will be open to potentially unwanted construction by housing developers.”