Slaugham Parish residents vote ‘yes’ in Neighbourhood Plan referendum

PR2234/TS/MF - 26/07/2019

Residents in the Parish of Slaugham have voted in favour of using Neighbourhood Plans to determine local planning applications.

Residents of the Parish, which includes the villages of Handcross, Pease Pottage, Slaugham and Warninglid took part in the Referendum on Thursday 25 July and were asked the following question:

‘Do you want Mid Sussex District Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Slaugham to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?’

The people of Slaugham Parish voted in favour of the plan, with 430 residents voting ‘Yes’ and 125 residents voting ‘No’. The turnout was 24.2%.

Neighbourhood Plans are a way for local people to decide the future of their town or village. Town and Parish Councils work alongside local residents to produce the plans, which set out general planning policies, such as where new homes and offices should be built and what they should look like.

Once a Neighbourhood Plan is complete, a town or village wide referendum is held to ask all residents what they think of the proposed plan. If more than 50% of people in the area who vote in the Referendum are in favour then the Neighbourhood Plan will be used to decide future planning applications.

Mid Sussex District Council will now meet on 25 September to consider whether the Slaugham Parish Neighbourhood Plan should be ‘made’. Once the plan is ‘made’ it will be used by the District Council to decide planning applications in the Parish of Slaugham.

For more information on the Neighbourhood Planning process contact the Mid Sussex District Council Planning Policy team on 01444 477391 or email Alma.Howell@midsussex.gov.uk

ENDS