Old Bathing Pool campaigners welcome new planning reform

From: Robert Sorrenti, St Vincents Road, St Leonards-on-Sea
Old Bathing Pool Site, St Leonards SUS-200329-101944001Old Bathing Pool Site, St Leonards SUS-200329-101944001
Old Bathing Pool Site, St Leonards SUS-200329-101944001

If proposals to reform the planning laws come into effect there will be a sea change in the way councils engage publicly in the creation of local plans, with residents being given a far greater say over what gets built in their community, and what gets preserved. It will no longer be sufficient for councils to undertake the minimum tick box exercise, which leaves most residents in the dark, they will be expected to embrace technology and transparency and actually find out what the local community wants. Local democracy will be enhanced, as will accountability.

The coronavirus crisis has highlighted the importance of outdoor spaces for communities. Hopefully the new regime will be in place before the Council sells off the old bathing pool site which it has been threatening to do over the past couple of years in the face of massive local opposition.

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The Council says a consultation did take place over the proposal to put housing on the site (up to 152 residential units, including blocks of flats where the pool used to be, a site which the council itself has designated as a green space ). But how many people did the council reach out to, and how many are they ignoring now?

The proposed reform is long overdue.

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