As Hurst Green residents, we could choose to ignore the UK housing shortage, and Rother District Council’s pre-determined allocation of 75 new homes for Hurst Green Village.
Local Parish Councillors felt that their choices were to either allow Rother District Council, developers and land owners to allocate where these new homes would be built, or alternatively – as a community, to seek to try and influence these choices and improve our community at the same time, by creating a Neighbourhood Plan.
A Neighbourhood Plan give communities such as ours, direct power to develop a vision for our neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of the local area.
We are able to choose where we want new homes, shops and offices to be built, have a say on what those new buildings should look like and what infrastructure should be provided, as well as grant planning permission for any new buildings we want to see go ahead.
Plans must be in general conformity with the strategic policies for an area as set by Rother District Council’s Local Plan, as well as having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and also accord with European Legislation.
Like all Neighbourhood Plans, Hurst Green’s plan will be subject to an independent Examination, and will require a local referendum to be held to ensure that our community has the final say on whether the plan comes into force or not.
To help us, Hurst Green is obtaining assistance in the form of financial grants and technical support through a central Government programme. For information on this, see My Community.
Find out more by exploring this website, or click the button below to read on.
Further reading…
More detailed guidance on the Neighbourhood Plan process is available on the Planning Portal.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has prepared a number of guides and there is more guidance on the Planning Advisory Service website.