ANSTY & STAPLEFIELD PARISH COUNCIL
18 Luxford Road, Lindfield, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 2LZ
Tel/Fax: 01444 483018
Email:
www.anstystaplefield-pc.gov.uk
Why do we need a Neighbourhood Plan?
Under the Localism Act, the Government has given people the opportunity to have their say in how their community should develop in the future. This covers many aspects of society and life such as schools, roads, homes, sports, biodiversity and so on. This is called a Neighbourhood Plan and can become part of the District Plan which covers the whole of Mid Sussex. Ansty & Staplefield Parish Council has facilitated this work by setting up a Neighbourhood Planning Group, which consists of representatives of local residents associations as well as some councillors.
Why is the Parish Council proposing housing sites?
It isn’t! Under existing planning laws, anyone can apply for planning permission on any piece of land. Several landowners in the parish have put forward land for development in Ansty, Staplefield and Brook Street. It is important that people have the opportunity to comment on any proposed sites, which is why we included the ones we knew about in the visioning days.
Ansty and Staplefield is, in terms of geographical area, the largest parish in West Sussex, but because almost all the land is in what is called ‘area of countryside restraint’, very few new homes have been built in recent times. The Neighbourhood Plan does offer the opportunity for sites for new homes to come forward if a majority of the community support this. Ansty & Staplefield Parish Council has been and will continue to be completely transparent in this but in the end it is up to landowners to decide if they want land to be considered. It is also important to remember that any proposal will have to go through the planning process, and that Mid Sussex District Council is the planning authority.
What if I don’t agree with the Neighbourhood Plan?
The Parish Council is really only the facilitator of the Neighbourhood Plan, the Plan belongs to the local community. Public visioning days have already been held across the parish to allow residents to find out more and put forward their own ideas and comments. A Neighbourhood Plan questionnaire together with an explanatory letter has been delivered across the parish. Once all the completed questionnaires have been received, they will be sent to an independent organisation, together with all the feedback from the visioning days and will be collated. The first draft of the Neighbourhood Plan will be based on this evidence. Further public consultation will be held on the draft.
What’s the timetable and how do I know the Neighbourhood Plan will reflect what people have said?
The closing date for receipt of questionnaires is the 31st March~. Once all the responses have been analysed, a document will be drafted that reflects the information received. After that it still has to pass through four further checkpoints. The first is the draft Neighbourhood Plan which will then be further consulted on in the parish. After that, it goes to Mid Sussex District Council who will check for legal compliance and conformity with National and Local policy. MSDC then appoint an independent examiner to review the plan and check that it reflects the information gathered in the visioning events and questionnaire. Finally, it will be put to public referendum and will only be adopted if it gains more than 50% of popular vote. This referendum is likely to be held in May 2013, although this date is not yet confirmed.
What happens if the Neighbourhood Plan is not adopted?
If for any reason the Neighbourhood Plan is not adopted, then the District Plan will still be implemented but without the content of our Neighbourhood Plan being included.
What is the Parish Council’s role in the Neighbourhood Plan?
Ansty & Staplefield Parish Council’s role is as the facilitator to enable a Neighbourhood Plan to be produced which reflects the wishes and aspirations of local people. It is inevitable that different groups of people will have differing opinions about how the community should develop and our job is to ensure everyone has a fair say and the Neighbourhood Plan reflects the wishes of the majority and can be adopted as part of the District Plan.
What is the Save Ansty campaign and why has it been formed?
The Save Ansty campaign was started by a small group of people who are directly impacted by the proposed developments on land owned by Ansty Farms since they own property adjacent to these proposed sites. We understand the concerns of this group and are meeting with them to discuss in more detail.
# Subject to confirmation at ASPC meeting on 12th March