Part 1 Setting the Scene
Introduction - What is this consultation about?
1.1 Making choices about where land should be found for new homes, jobs, and facilities for our communities is one of the most challenging decisions facing Wealden District Council. This consultation paper aims to give everyone a chance to have a say in the important decisions that lie ahead.
1.2 As part of the planning process laid down by Government, Wealden is preparing a series of plans, known as the Local Development Framework. These will guide future development and change, and help the District achieve a more sustainable way of living. At the heart of these plans is the Core Strategy – a document which will make some of the most important decisions affecting Wealden residents and businesses over the next twenty years.
1.3 We consulted widely on the key issues and spatial choices facing Wealden’s Core Strategy in the summer of 2007 1 and received an overwhelming response from individuals and organisations with an interest in the future of the district. Since then we have been analysing the responses we received and carrying out many technical and other studies to explore ways forward.
1.4 As our first plan under the new system, the Core Strategy will have the key role of identifying the broad locations of future growth in Wealden. It will set out areas where new homes will be built, as well as other essential infrastructure including jobs and services, schools, open space and transport improvements. Although this consultation paper is not the draft Core Strategy, it is a major step towards its development. Later plans will contain more detail about individual sites and proposals and will need to conform to the Core Strategy so it is important that we get this fundamental document right.
1.5 This consultation paper offers a key opportunity to think about how local places should be shaped in the future. Wealden is an extensive district with a broad range of issues to be addressed and opportunities to be grasped. The new planning system provides a real opportunity to address those issues and to help meet existing and future local needs. The size and extent of the district also mean that the range of choice is very large. This consultation will help narrow down that range of choice and find the best strategy to take us through the next twenty years.
1.6 Much of our work in the two years since the last consultation has focused on finding out more about the communities in Wealden. We need to understand how they function and what their needs are. We have, therefore, commissioned numerous specialist studies to provide detailed evidence of current issues. We have worked closely with partners in the Local Strategic Partnership, Parish and Town Councils, East Sussex County Council and neighbouring authorities, developers, environmental bodies and infrastructure providers to gain a deeper understanding of their issues and perspectives.
1.7 Although national economic circumstances have changed over the last 12 months, and there are currently problems in the housing and property markets, it is vital that we take a long-term view about growth so that we have our plans ready for when the market picks up. Building flexibility into our strategy and policies will help ensure their effectiveness in accommodating future uncertainty.