The Parish Council intents to move forward with the parish’s Neighbourhood Plan.
Chairman Andy Holman outlines the current position:
As explained in the Parish Council’s note prepared in 2018* (see link below), work on the Barcombe Neighbourhood Plan was brought to a halt and the plan’s development held in abeyance pending completion of the Lewes District Local Plan. The Lewes District local plan (LPP2) was completed and adopted in 2020. In 2021 the Parish Council sought advice from several quarters with knowledge of the local planning process in order to determine how we should proceed with the Neighbourhood Plan and learnt the following:
- A Neighbourhood Plan is a useful tool for establishing the community’s view of what housing development and associated amenities are needed and how they should be delivered.
- The Neighbourhood Plan should cover all aspects of the community’s needs, including ; Housing, Health, Environment, Transport, Energy, Communications, Employment, Education and Recreation.
- The Neighbourhood Plan should be understood and ‘approved’ by the community.
- An agreed Neighbourhood Plan can provide the Parish Council with a set of parameters by which future planning applications can be assessed and appropriate comments relayed to the District Council’s planning department.
- The plan should take account of the Land Availability Assessment as conducted by Lewes District Council in 2021/22**
- The Neighbourhood Plan needs to be consistent with the revised Lewes District Local Plan (To be published in 2023).
- A robust Neighbourhood Plan can be used as a defence against unwanted speculative development.
In consideration of the above it has been decided that a new Neighbourhood Plan will be prepared for publication in 2023 (following publication of the revised Lewes local plan). To this end a sub-committee will be formed in September 2022 with a view to putting a plan to the community for approval in late 2023.
*Barcombe PC housing statement 2018: https://www.wp.barcombepc.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Housing-in-Barcombe.pdf
**Land Availability Assessment: https://www.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/planning-policy/strategic-housing-and-economic-land-availability-assessment/
In the Lewes Land Availability Assessment published in early 2022, no land was deemed appropriate for development within Barcombe Parish. This does not mean that development cannot take place on sites that were made available by land owners but that any planning application must adequately address the matters raised in the assessment.
If you would like to help with the development of the plan and live in Barcombe parish, then please register your interest with the Parish Clerk: clerk@barcombepc.net.
Andy Holman
Chairman, Barcombe Parish Council.