Nine parishes attended including Ashurst Wood, Chiddlingly, Clymping, Felpham, Forest Row, Hamsey, Newick, Plaistow and Ifold and Westbourne, all keen to find out more, and to explore issues like: what kind of support is available for communities to produce a neighbourhood plan, how can funding be obtained and what chance have neighbourhoods got against the might of corporate lawyers when trying to influence planning?

Questions were raised about the value of going through the process at all: will all the effort that goes in be worthwhile in the end, will subsequent governments remove Neighbourhood Planning? The point was raised that this is an opportunity that should be grasped in order to take advantage of the legislation and that if it is not used, there is always the danger it may be lost. Parishes and neighbourhoods have an elevated status in planning now, and that brings with it a well-founded sense of community empowerment. After all, if non-strategic policies in the District local plan and the Neighbourhood Plan conflict, the neighbourhood plan takes precedence. Communities can’t be anti-growth, they have to have as much development as laid out in District ‘strategic’ policies, but they can decide where development goes, what sort of development they want to encourage and can influence local infrastructure delivery through engaging with District planning authorities.

The importance of engaging with District plans was a message writ large at the event. Engaging with plans for levels of development, influencing District infrastructure wish-lists like schools, community centres and transport and asking local authorities for help where communities need it are all essential for neighbourhood planning success.

Stephen Hardy, chair of the event on behalf of CPRE Sussex, said, "Our event was a full and useful day for all those taking part in exploring this new world of neighbourhood planning. The ideas that emerged fully reflect a movement towards taking responsibility to shape the future of our own communities. The enthusiasm of the people at the event augurs well for this challenge being taken up."

This Neighbourhood Planning event was hosted by CPRE Sussex and delivered by the CPRE/NALC ‘Supporting Communities and Neighbourhoods in Planning Fund’ programme funded by central government. Funding has been extended and we hope to be able to offer more workshops in the future. Please let us know if you would like to be added to our reserve list on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.