Introduction

The Format of this Local Plan

1.1 The general policies set out in chapters 2-10 are referred to extensively in the area chapters. Therefore, to understand the planning policy framework for a particular area it will be necessary to consult the topic chapters together with the relevant area chapter.

1.2 This Local Plan consists of a Written Statement and a Proposals Map.

(a) The Written Statement sets out the Local Planning Authority’s policies and proposals for the plan area together with a reasoned justification for them. The policies and proposals can be easily distinguished from the supporting text. The supporting text is, however, part of the adopted plan and carries full weight, for example in the way it explains how the policies and proposals will be interpreted or implemented. This single document includes all the chapters of the Local Plan. The general topic chapters are followed by the three town chapters (Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Haywards Heath), then the village chapters (in alphabetical order) and finally a rural area chapter.

(b) The Proposals Map defines those sites allocated for development or where particular policies apply. The Proposals Map comprises a single map which covers the whole district together with a number of inset maps showing parts of the district at a larger scale. The policies and proposals shown on the Proposals Map are cross referenced to the Written Statement

The Importance and Purpose of the Local Plan

1.3 As well as requiring the preparation of a single District Wide Local Plan, the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 increased the importance to be attached to development plans such as a Local Plan. Legislation requires that any planning decision should be determined in accordance with the provisions of the development plan “unless material considerations indicate otherwise”. The Local Plan should therefore be decisive in determining most planning matters unless it contains no relevant policies in a particular case or there are other material considerations to be taken into account which lead to an alternative decision. The Structure Plan, Minerals Local Plan and Waste Local Plan also form part of the development plan and may be relevant in particular cases.

1.4 The purpose of the Local Plan is to set out detailed policies and specific proposals for the development and use of land, in order to guide most day to day planning decisions. The preparation of a Local Plan gives local communities the opportunity to participate in planning choices about where development should be accommodated in their area.

1.5 The Local Plan must, in order to comply with the relevant legislation, be in general conformity with the relevant Structure Plan. (See paragraphs 1.11 – 1.12). Within this constraint, the Local Plan has two principle functions:

(i) To set out the authority’s policies for the control of development; and

(ii) To make proposals for development and use of land and to allocate land for specific purposes.

The Plan Area

1.6 This Local Plan covers the whole of the administrative area of Mid Sussex District Council, some 130 square miles. The boundary of the District, and therefore the plan area, is shown on the Proposals Map.

This Local Plan and its Relationship with Existing Adopted Plans

1.7 The Mid Sussex Local Plan is the first district wide Local Plan for Mid Sussex. It replaces five existing Local Plans, which were as follows:

1. East Grinstead and Worth Local Plan - adopted 25th October 1985.

2. South Mid Sussex Local Plan - adopted 10th December 1990.

3. Burgess Hill Local Plan - adopted 13th January 1992.

4. Central Mid Sussex Local Plan - adopted 7th September 1992.

5. Haywards Heath Local Plan - adopted 9th October 1995

1.8 At the 1993 boundary review the Local Authority gained small areas of land from Tandridge, Wealden and Lewes. These areas are covered by the Mid Sussex Local Plan.

1.9 The District Council commenced preparation of a district wide Local Plan with a series of discussion papers between 1989 and 1993. Subsequently, during 1996 and 1997 the general policies and three area parts of the Mid Sussex Local Plan Consultation Draft were published. No further consultation work took place until 2000 due to the delay on the West Sussex Structure Plan (see paragraphs 1.11-1.13) when the Council undertook a district wide housing consultation exercise. The pre-deposit housing consultation document was published in February 2000 and the responses to this were considered by the Council in allocating the additional housing sites which were included in the Deposit Draft Local Plan. Where there were outstanding allocations from the adopted plans, which it was still appropriate and necessary to allocate, these were included in the Deposit Draft Local Plan published in November 2000. Following consideration of objections to the Deposit Draft Local Plan revisions were made and the Revised Deposit Draft Local Plan was published in August 2001.

1.10 A Local Plan Inquiry was held from April through to October 2002 when the Local Plan Inspector considered all the unresolved objections into the first and (second) Revised Deposit Drafts of the Mid Sussex Local Plan. The Inspector had 1,149 outstanding objections to consider, 500 of which were dealt with at the Inquiry, the remainder were in the form of written representations. The Inspector's report was published in July 2003; his recommendations have been considered by the Local Planning Authority. Schedules setting out (i) the Inspector's recommendations and the Council's response to each and (ii) proposed modifications in the light of the Inspector's recommendations, updated information and new guidance were published in December 2003. Objections to the proposed modifications were considered by the Council. The Council considered that no further modifications and no further public inquiry were required and at their meeting on 14th April 2004 Members resolved to adopt the Mid Sussex Local Plan.

The Plan Period and the Relationship with the Structure Plan

1.11 The Consultation Draft Local Plan was prepared to conform generally with the provisions of the West Sussex Structure Plan Third Review (Consultation Draft 1995), and it was intended that the Deposit Draft Local Plan would be prepared in line with the Deposit Draft Structure Plan. Following the Structure Plan Examination in Public and the Panel’s Report the Secretary of State intervened and in December 1997 issued a Direction to West Sussex County Council requiring the Structure Plan to include an additional 12,800 dwellings for the period up to 2011. There followed a prolonged challenge by West Sussex County Council through the Courts. The High Court upheld the Secretary of State’s right to intervene and ‘leave to appeal’ was finally turned down in February 1999.

1.12 During this time the County Council published the West Sussex Structure Plan 1998 (not formally adopted). This Plan contained all policies, other than H1 on housing allocations, as modified. Its policies were upheld by Inspectors in a number of appeals since its publication. This Plan has now been superseded by the West Sussex Structure Plan 2001-2016 Deposit Draft published in November 2001. This includes a distribution of housing figures for the West Sussex Districts for the period up to 2016 to meet the requirement from Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9 March 2001). The Deposit Draft Structure Plan was considered at Examination in Public in November/December 2002, the Panel's Report was published in February 2003 and proposed modifications were published in December 2003.

1.13 In September 1999 having carefully considered the various options the District Council decided to progress the Local Plan to 2006 in conformity with the 1998 West Sussex Structure Plan (not formally adopted) with respect of all policies other than H1 (Housing) and the 1993 Approved Structure Plan regarding housing numbers. Although the Plan has only a short plan period to 2006 this allows the Council to show housing allocations on the proposals map for the period up to 2006. The adopted Local Plan shows housing for the period 2002-2006. An explanatory note appended to the Local Plan sets out the planning applications which have been granted planning permission since the Housing Land Supply table was compiled. These applications and other anticipated housing supply, mainly at the south west sector Haywards Heath, indicate that five years' worth of housing supply, from 2002, can be identified.

1.14 Work on a Review of the Local Plan, in the form of a Local Development Framework for Mid Sussex, has already begun and the Council expects to have this in place by April 2007. The new Local Development Framework, as required by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill (once enacted), will meet the housing requirements of the emerging West Sussex Structure Plan for the ten year period 2006-2016.

Technical Reports

1.15 A large number of studies have been undertaken in preparing this Local Plan. Whilst not forming part of the Local Plan itself, the results of several of these are summarised in a series of Technical Reports which are available from the District Council’s Environment Directorate. The subjects covered to date are as follows:

2. East Grinstead Town Centre Shopping Frontages Survey 1995.

3. Burgess Hill Town Centre Shopping Frontages Survey 1998.

4. Survey of Outdoor Playing Space 1994 (Currently being updated).

5. Household Shopping Survey October 1993.

6. Survey of Roadside Facilities on the A23 1994

7. Haywards Heath Town Centre Shopping frontages Survey 1998.

8. Review of Strategic Gap Boundaries 2001.

9. Built up Area boundaries 2002.

10. Household Shopping Survey Feb 2002.

11. Mid Sussex Urban Capacity Study 2001.

12. Mid Sussex Urban Capacity Study Technical Appendices 2001.

13. Areas of Townscape Character 2002.

14. Mid Sussex Conservation Areas 2002