Hailsham residents invited to view draft Local Plan documents

The draft plan, which was recently approved with the formal Regulation 18 consultation taking place until Friday 10th May, outlines the preferred vision contains proposals for guiding future development in the Wealden district, including Hailsham. The plan outlines the preferred vision for the area, as well as 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 Draft Local Plan documents are available to view in the Members' Room at the Town Council Offices in Market Street until 3pm on Friday 10th May, by appointment only. To arrange an appointment, please email [email protected] with your preferred time and date. Slots are available Monday to Friday (9am-3pm) until the above date.

The development of Wealden District Council's new Draft Local Plan follows the successful adoption of the Hailsham Neighbourhood (Development) Plan in May 2021 via a public referendum - a completely separate plan not to be confused with Wealden District Council's Local Plan.

The referendum for the neighbourhood plan asked whether Hailsham residents wanted the district council to use the Neighbourhood Plan to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area. The results of the referendum confirmed that 73% of those who voted were in favour of the neighbourhood plan being used to decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area.

Hailsham Town Council will be responding in full to the Draft Local Plan consultation in the coming months via the Neighbourhood Planning Committee.

"Planning affects us all as residents and the district council's planning policies set out in the revised Draft Local Plan acts as the legal starting point in determining future planning applications," said Cllr Mary Laxton, chairman of the Neighbourhood Planning Committee. "It goes without saying that public and stakeholder engagement is an important part of any Local Plan-making process, whether it be residents, local businesses, community organisations and infrastructure providers, as well as town and parish councils. It's crucial that local knowledge and specialist expertise be collected from a wide range of perspectives."

"Residents are invited to go to the Town Council Offices to have a look through the final draft document and subsequently submit any comments and feedback. Any such feedback received could have impact and I encourage people to get them in during this stage of the process. It is not a final plan and any views submitted may be beneficial and help to improve the Plan even further."

"Our town has seen significant growth over the last few years, so it's imperative that all residents inspect the document and make their views known in order to influence the plan. Taking part in the process will definitely help to shape the future of our town."

People wishing to receive updates about the Draft Local Plan or who wish to comment on the content of the draft, should register using Wealden District Council’s consultation portal at https://consult.wealden.gov.uk/kse/