Neighbourhood Plan Review
Published: 23 May 2024
Review of the Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan
In July 2021, the Westbourne electorate voted in favour of the Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan, which has since offered the Parish protection from unwanted housing development. It is a statutory document which cannot be ignored and is considered against the local plans of Chichester District Council and the South Downs National Park Authority when deciding planning applications as the starting point for where development in the Parish should take place and the type and quality of that development.
The Neighbourhood Plan sets a long-term vision for Westbourne and provides detail on the provision of housing, promotion of shops and local businesses, opportunities for employment and protection of green spaces. It can be read in full on our website.
The Plan was written by local residents through the Westbourne Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (WNPSG). The primary purpose of the WNPSG was to allow the Parish Council to delegate the day-to-day tasks of organising events, editing drafts and producing the final plan, and it allowed a wide range of local people to contribute their views on how they wanted the Parish to develop in the future.
The time has now come to review Westbourne's Neighbourhood Plan to ensure it keeps up-to-date with changes in local and national legislation. Chichester District Council has recently revised the Chichester Local Plan which was submitted to the Examiner for consideration in April 2024 and now carries weight in relation to planning housing development. The government has allocated the development of 575 new houses in the Chichester District area over the next 15 years, with Westbourne having 30 allocated to it. It is important that these updated figures are appropriately considered and included in the Neighbourhood Plan so that any new housing is planned. We are aiming to update the Neighbourhood Plan as soon as possible otherwise it risks being challenged by speculative developers who may set their sights on Westbourne. The task has been made much easier with an existing neighbourhood plan in place.
Can you offer your skills and experiences to help review the Plan?
We would like to ask any resident from the local community to consider joining the WNPSG to help review the Plan and to ensure that as many people as possible are represented. The Parish Council has appointed three members to sit on the WNPSG and would very much like to work with others to complete the review.
An initial meeting will take place in July at The Meeting Place, North Street, Westbourne - date to be confirmed. Please do come along if you would like to find out more and would like to volunteer to help with the review.
You can also find out more by emailing clerk@westbourne-pc.gov.uk