Town centres and regeneration
5.26 A key theme from the South East Plan and Regional Economic Strategy is the promotion of sustainable economic growth and regeneration within the Sussex Coast Sub Region. These plans look to us, and to other local authorities and key partners in this sub region, to help bring the local economy up to the standards of the South East as a whole. This means providing more skills and jobs for the current population, in order to increase economic activity and reduce unemployment, and increase employment. Meeting these objectives will require additional housing and employment space. Most of the options seek to provide enough development, particularly within south Wealden, to support sustainable economic growth and regeneration.
5.27 If well located and planned, housing development can provide wider community benefits, both by supporting existing services and facilities, and by helping to fund new or expanded facilities or improving access to them. In our town centres opportunities exist to help bring new vitality to the local communities by bringing forward key development sites which promote a mix of activities – including shopping, employment, recreation and housing. There are opportunities to link new housing development and town centre regeneration to initiatives which widen local employment opportunities and improve residents’ accessibility to local services and facilities.