One wonders why have they not done so in the past? The revised draft DaSA should be out for consultation in October with a quick consultation period and a fond hope that they will get a further revised version finished before a Government deadline of 25 January 2019. So we wait with baited breath to see what they are proposing.

Neighbourhood Plans are at last progressing in Rother with two having been approved in 2019, at Sedlescombe and Robertsbridge, both providing well over the minimum housing targets for the villages. But Fairlight sadly have given up on theirs faced with a huge housing proposal by a developer for 100+ houses when the Local Plan only requires from them a minimum of 44 houses. Hurst Green have been told they cannot continue with their neighbourhood plan because Rother think it cannot be completed within Rother’s own timetable.

In Hastings one community, West St. Leonards, with help from CPRE, are looking at setting up their own neighbourhood plan. This would be a first for Hastings and might set the scene for others hopefully. An application for chopping down 71 (!) protected trees at Beauport Park is currently causing much controversy and is being strenuously opposed by CPRE Sussex.