Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan Regulation 14 Pre Submission Consultation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan Regulation 14 Pre Submission Consultation January 2016 Hassocks Parish Council Contents Page 1. Foreword! 1 2. Introduction! 2 3. Parish Profile! 6 4. Vision and objectives! 11 5. Environment and Heritage! 12 Policy 1: Hassocks-Burgess Hill Gap (Burgess Hill Gap)! 12 Policy 2: Hassocks-Ditchling Gap (Ditchling Gap) & Hassocks-Hurstpierpoint Gap (Hurstpierpoint Gap)! 13 Policy 3: Local Green Spaces! 14 Policy 4: Green Infrastructure! 15 Policy 5: South Downs National Park! 16 Policy 6: Conservation Areas! 17 Policy 7: Air Quality Management! 17 Policy 8: Character And Design! 18 6. Community Infrastructure! 21 Policy 9: Open Space! 21 Policy 10: Outdoor Play Space! 22 Policy 11: Community Facilities! 22 Policy 12: Education Provision! 23 Aim 1: Education Facilities! 25 Aim 2: Healthcare Facilities! 25 7. Housing! 26 Policy 13: Housing Allocations! 27 Policy 14: Hassocks Golf Club! 27 Policy 15: Land to the North of Clayton Mills and Mackie Avenue! 29 Policy 16: National Tyre Centre! 30 Policy 17: Windfall Development! 31 Policy 18: Housing Mix! 32 Policy 19: Affordable Housing! 32 Policy 20: Reuse of Rural Buildings for Residential Use! 33 Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan, Regulation 14 Pre Submission Consultation Page 2 Hassocks Parish Council 8. Economy! 34 Aim 3: Village Centre! 34 Policy 21: Tourism! 34 9. Transport! 36 Aim 4: Roads, Traffic and Congestion! 36 Aim 5: Speed and Speed Limits! 37 Aim 6: Parking! 37 Aim 7: Safety! 38 Aim 8: Pollution! 38 Aim 9: Public Transport - Rail! 39 Aim 10: Public Transport - Bus! 39 Aim 11: Footpaths and Accessibility! 40 Aim 12: Cycleways and Bridleways! 41 10. Implementation and Delivery! 42 11. Proposals Map! 43 12. Evidence Base! 44 !! Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan, Regulation 14 Pre Submission Consultation Page 3 Hassocks Parish Council FOREWORD Welcome to the Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan, encompassing Hassocks, Keymer and Clayton. This Plan is the result of significant input and work led by the Parish Council and co-opted community members, and involving residents and the community at large. The Plan comes forward under the Localism Act 2011 providing us with the opportunity to shape our own future rather than have others determine it for us. The aims of the Plan are to; • Provide a framework for future development in the plan area, • Protect and enhance existing open spaces, and, • Establish aims for facilitating future infrastructure needs. The Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan is a vision for 17 years from 2014 - 2031. It is comprised of policies and aims to meet the Vision and Objectives. The purpose of the Neighbourhood Plan is to focus on community development and to provide the framework to deliver benefits for residents, businesses and visitors. Funding for new community facilities and improvements are likely to come from new housing. The Parish's housing needs are contained within the strategic sites identified in Plan. The Plan provides clarity to communities, landowners and other interested parties on how the town will improve and transform for the benefit of the existing and future population. Councillor Ian Credland Chairman, Neighbourhood Plan Working Group Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan, Regulation 14 Pre Submission Consultation Page 1 Hassocks Parish Council 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. The Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan (the Plan) has been prepared by Hassocks Parish Council to guide and manage development in the Parish over the period of 2014 - 2031. It covers the whole of the Parish, including Keymer and Clayton, as shown in the Plan at Figure 1. Figure 1 - Hassocks Designated Area 1.2. This ‘Pre-Submission Draft’ (known as Regulation 14) of the Plan has been prepared following extensive background work and public consultation. It must have regard to, and be in general conformity with, a range of ‘higher tier’ planning guidelines. It seeks to set out policies to meet identified needs for, amongst other things, housing and infrastructure over the plan period. 1.3. The Plan is subject to a statutory 6 week consultation period. Feedback will be carefully considered before a final ‘Submission Version’ (Regulation 16) Plan is prepared. This will also be subject to public consultation before the Plan is assessed by an Independent Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan, Regulation 14 Pre Submission Consultation Page 2 Hassocks Parish Council Examiner. The Plan will then be put to a Public Referendum of Parishioners on the electoral roll. Planning Context 1.4. The Localism Act 2011 introduced new rights and powers to allow local communities to shape new development by preparing neighbourhood plans. A neighbourhood plan establishes planning policies for the development and use of land for example where new homes should be built and what they should look like. Neighbourhood plans allow local people to influence the type of development for their area while contributing to the wider needs of the area. 1.5. The Government, through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) advises: “Neighbourhood planning provides a powerful set of tools for local people to ensure that they get the right types of development for their community. The ambition of the Neighbourhood Plan should be aligned with the strategic needs and priorities of the wider local area. Neighbourhood Plans must be in general conformity with the strategic policies of the Local Plan….Neighbourhood Plans should reflect these policies and neighbourhoods should plan positively to support them. Neighbourhood plans…should not promote less development than set out in the Local Plan or undermine its strategic policies”.1 1.6. The Parish falls predominantly within the Local Planning Authority area of Mid-Sussex District. In April 2011, the southern parts of the Parish, including Clayton, were designated as falling within the jurisdiction of the South Downs National Park Authority. 1.7. The Mid Sussex Local Plan was adopted on May 27th 2004 and sets out the planning policies for the District, including those parts that fall within the National Park. It was originally intended to cover the period up to 2006. However a number of policies were saved by Government direction until they are superseded by emerging Development Plan Documents. 1.8. Work has commenced on the replacement Local Plan, known as the Mid Sussex District Plan. This will cover those parts of the District that fall outside of the National Park, and seeks to guide development in this area up to 2031. 1.9. Over the summer of 2015 the District Council consulted on the Pre-Submission Draft District Plan. In light of feedback they are consulting on a ‘Focussed Amendments’ Version of this document until 31st December 2015. 1.10. This most recent draft of the District Plan proposes to facilitate the provision of 13,600 additional dwellings in the District over the Plan period. Many of these new homes, and associated infrastructure, are to be built in and around Burgess Hill, with a further ‘strategic’ allocation of 600 new homes on land at Pease Pottage. 1.11. The emerging District Plan advises that the preparation of Neighbourhood Plans is a key part of the delivery strategy. It seeks for 1,730 additional homes in the District to be 1 see Paragraph 184 of the NPPF Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan, Regulation 14 Pre Submission Consultation Page 3 Hassocks Parish Council delivered over the Plan period through future Neighbourhood Plans and/ or a District Council prepared Site Allocations Plan. 1.12. The South Downs National Park Authority is now preparing a Park-wide Local Plan. The South Downs Local Plan: Preferred Options was published for consultation in September 2015. The Authority are now reviewing feedback and it is envisaged that they will publish a Pre-Submission Draft of the Plan in Autumn 2016. Once adopted this will supersede existing policies in the Mid Sussex Local Plan that cover the National Park Area. Plan Preparation 1.13. Hassocks Parish Council was designated by Mid Sussex District Council and the South Downs National Park Authority in July 2012, for the purposes of neighbourhood planning. 1.14. Since that date extensive background work and stakeholder engagement has been undertaken to facilitate the production of the Neighbourhood Plan that meets the needs of the Plan area and the aspirations of local stakeholders whilst having regard to the constraints of the Parish. 1.15. Early stakeholder engagement with the local community was undertaken via a Neighbourhood Plan Questionnaire, distributed to residents in May 2014. This sought comments on a draft Vision and set of Objectives, proposed topics for the Neighbourhood Plan, the potential quantum of housing to be supported in the Neighbourhood Plan, as well as a ‘Call for Sites’ for consideration for potential housing allocation. 1.16. This was followed by further public Consultation events in September 2014, January 2015 and July 2015. These sought to secure stakeholder views on potential housing sites promoted by site owners and their agents. 1.17. Conclusions on the overall housing need in the Parish, the preferred sites to contribute to meeting this need, and the merit and selection of land within the Parish to be designated as Local Green Space (LGS) was considered at a meeting of the Parish Council in September 2015. 1.18. This Pre-Submission Draft Plan represents the Parish Council’s proposals on meeting the identified housing and infrastructure needs over the Plan period, whilst seeking to protect the important, high quality landscape setting of the Parish and the townscape of its built up areas. Plan Structure 1.19. The Plan sets out in Chapter 2 a description of the Parish today, Chapter 3 contains the Vision for the area up to 2031 and the Strategic Objectives of the Neighbourhood Plan. The polices are set out in subsequent chapters as follows: • Chapter 4: Environment and Heritage • Chapter 5: Community Facilities • Chapter 6: Housing • Chapter 7: Economy • Chapter 8: Transport Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan, Regulation 14 Pre Submission Consultation Page 4 Hassocks Parish Council 1.20.