Lewes District Council welcomes ‘impressive’ community response to first phase of consultation on Local Plan

The council said this phase of the consulatition looked at sites within towns, plus ‘a limited number of villages’ and was held during January and February.

The council said it included drop-in events in Ringmer, Seaford, Newick, Peacehaven, Cooksbridge and Newhaven, as well as a joint event with South Downs National Park Authority in Lewes Town Hall, an exhibition and a webinar.

Councillor Laurence O’Connor, Cabinet Member for Planning, said: “We saw an impressive level of engagement during this initial phase of consultation and our thanks to all those people who gave us their feedback. The insights gathered are invaluable as we move forward in shaping the future development of our district.”

LDC confirmed that 1,965 individual responses were received in total, with a higher number of responses via the online consultation platform than in the previous consultation. The council said residents were particularly interested in several ‘key themes’, with ‘Spatial Strategy’ being the most commented upon topic, followed by ‘Homes for All’, ‘Natural Environment’ and ‘Climate Change’.

The council added that the feedback received is being ‘carefully considered’ as documents are prepared for the consultation’s second stage in late autumn this year. This next phase will look at the more rural parts of the district, while re-evaluating areas considered in the first phase.

Councillor O’Connor said: “We are committed to finding innovative ways to broaden our reach in the next consultation stage and are currently exploring new opportunities to engage with families and young people. We recognise the importance of ensuring that the Local Plan reflects the needs and aspirations of all our residents and look forward to hearing more of people’s views in late autumn.”

LDC explained that local plans set out where future development takes place, like new homes and locations for business growth, as well the local policy requirements that future planning applications will be judged against.