Neighbourhood Plan Referendums were held in the Horsham District on Thursday 4 September in the parishes of Cowfold, Itchingfield, Lower Beeding, and Pulborough.
A Neighbourhood Plan Referendum asks residents of a parish whether they would like Horsham District Council to use the parish's Neighbourhood Plan to help decide planning applications.
Residents voted in favour of the Neighbourhood Plans being used to help decide planning applications. The full results were as follows:
- Cowfold – 90.56% voted in favour (turnout 29.72%)
- Itchingfield – 92.05% voted in favour (turnout 37.51%)
- Lower Beeding – 84.07% voted in favour (turnout 22.38%)
- Pulborough – 83.71% voted in favour (turnout 18.49%).
A meeting of the Council’s Cabinet is programmed for 8 October to consider the formal ‘making’ (or adoption) of the Plans.
Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure Cllr Ruth Fletcher commented:
My thanks go out to all the parish councils and residents who have dedicated so much time and energy to shaping their Neighbourhood Plans. These referendums mark a significant milestone, and the strong support shown by voters reflects the commitment our communities have to guiding future development in their areas.
Your hard work and collaboration are helping to ensure that planning decisions truly reflect local priorities.
As a council we strongly support local communities having a voice about the development happening in their areas and we will continue to give ongoing support to plan-led development.
For a full breakdown of results please visit our Election results webpage.