Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan 'Made' To Determine Future Planning Applications

It’s been a long time coming but the Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan has finally been ‘made’ and will help to determine future planning applications in the area.

The plan was submitted to Mid Sussex District Council last June, having been withdrawn in January 2019. An earlier draft went out to public consultation in 2016 but got no further.

There have been some bitter pills to swallow in the meantime, with plans for 500 homes north of Clayton Mills and 130 at Friars Oak Fields both given the go-ahead.

At a meeting of the district council on Wednesday night, Hassocks councillors praised everyone involved in preparing and approving the plan.

Benedict Dempsey (Lib Dem, Hassocks) thanked parish councillors for the ‘very hard work they’ve put in to this plan over many years, despite many set-backs to reach this point’.

He added:

“I’d like to place on record my admiration and respect for the people of Hassocks because they voted overwhelmingly in favour of this plan, having trooped out in large numbers in the cold and the rain and the dark back in the beginning of March to make sure we had a neighbourhood plan that would protect our village from unwanted development.”

During the March referendum, almost 95% – 1,635 people – voted in favour of the neighbourhood plan. The turnout was 26.43%.

Alexander Sparasci (Lib Dem, Hassocks) said:

“As a Hassocks resident, I know it’s not just a place that people live, it’s a place that we love living.

“It isn’t NIMBYism to say that we want to avoid uncontrolled development that will change the village forever.

“Residents understand that everywhere needs to have more housing. We just have to make sure that everywhere takes its fair share.

“There’s much sadness about the hundreds of houses that are already approved but at least the making of this neighbourhood plan will ensure that further rampant over-development is kept at bay.”

As a member of both the parish and district councils, Sue Hatton (Lib Dem, Hassocks) had been involved with the plan since day one.

Describing her disappointment that things couldn’t have been finalised in 2016, she said: “But that’s in the past now.

“I think it’s very good that the people of Hassocks are now looking to us to put a plan in place that looks after the rest of the land and facilities that we have in Hassocks for us to enjoy in the future.”

By local democracy reporter Karen Dunn