Community Led Planning Services

Parish Action Plans

We have over 80 years’ experience in supporting communities to achieve their aspirations and possess a skilled and experienced team who are experts in community development, housing and planning. We have worked with over 165 communities in East and West Sussex on developing their Parish Action Plans (PAP). Great value is placed by them on our independence, neutral advice and our knowledge of local issues within both counties.7 Completed NPs1

Parish Action Plans have long been recognised as an effective tool in helping towns and villages to identify and address any social, economic and environmental issues they may have, whilst also allowing them to set out a vision for their community together with a detailed plan on how they will achieve it.

Broader in scope than Neighbourhood Plans, Parish Action Plans are developed by communities after undertaking comprehensive and detailed public engagement. This information is then translated into a set of actions, which the community working in close conjunction with other stakeholders then seeks to address. Progress in achieving these actions is monitored over time and adjusted as required.

Neighbourhood Plans

As an organisation, we have been at the forefront supporting and working with communities across Sussex in the development of their Neighbourhood Plans. The introduction of Neighbourhood Plans in the Localism Act (2011) provided communities with the opportunity to influence the development of their locality in areas Parish Action Plans had less weight to influence.

To date, we have supported over 45 neighbourhood planning projects across Sussex and Surrey covering 8 Local planning Authority areas. Of these plans, 80 % have been made (passed their external examination and public referendum and been adopted by the Local Authority). These made plans include Henfield, Upper Beeding, Herstmonceux, Newhaven, Plumpton, Arundel, Angmering, Rustington, East Preston, Ferring, Lindfield and Lindfield Rural, Nuthurst, Woodmancote, Woldingham, Wivelsfield, Southbourne, Tangmere and Send with the few remaining plans at various stages of the process.

Our Neighbourhood Plan service includes professional planning and design expertise provided by our retained consultants.

Our Services

We offer Town and Parish councils and Neighbourhood Plan Groups with a full suite of professional services to assist them in completing either Parish Plans or Neighbourhood Development Plan. This includes advice on and assistance with:

  • Establishing appropriate plan for area (Neighbourhood Plan or Parish Action Plan)
  • Assisting with governance structures, steering group set-up and project management
  • Identifying the core audience, key stakeholders
  • Providing appropriate toolkits and templates;
  • Undertaking robust community engagement and evidence gathering
  • Survey design and analysis
  • Developing a community ‘Vision’ and Objectives;
  • Prioritising Actions to be implemented within Parish Plans
  • Advice on implementing Actions, including signposting to funding sources.
  • Sites identification and assessments for Neighbourhood Plans
  • Developing suitable and justifiable policies responding to local issues;
  • Consulting the public and stakeholders on the Draft Plan and Strategic Environmental Assessment.
  • Liaison with local planning authorities and key stakeholders.

About Us

The AirS team comprises a small number of experienced and skilled community engagement officers, housing specialists, professional planners and designers. Our process places much emphasis on rigorous community consultation and social inclusion, thereby generating evidence that is representative of the priorities of the whole community.

Our aim is to empower and build capacities with the communities we work with. This means our approach is very much community led with guidance and support from us to ensure best practices are followed with professional services offered where required.

Contact Us

For further information on our Community Led Planning services, or for a full and bespoke service offer please contact:

Faustina Bayo
Senior Community Development Officer
Tel: 07775 851888 Email: faustina.bayo@ruralsussex.org.uk

Hassocks Priorities Statement Survey

Action in rural Sussex (AirS) is working with Hassocks Parish Council to engage its residents in preparing a Priorities Statement for the Parish.

If you are a resident of Hassocks Parish (comprising of Hassocks, Keymar and Clayton) click here to complete the Hassocks Priorities Statement Survey. To find out more about the Hassocks Priorities Statement, visit the Parish Council’s website.

The deadline for completion is Thursday 12th January 2023

Community Resilience Survey Report

See below findings of the survey carried out in late summer 2022.

Community Resilience Survey Report Final 

Neighbourhood Planning by District

The following links provide details of the Neighbourhood Plans underway in each District, together with the relevant policies and procedures produced by each Local Authority.

Arun District
Chichester District
Horsham District
Lewes District
Mid Sussex District
Rother District
Wealden District

Useful Documents

Locality – Neighbourhood Plans

CPRE – Guide to Neighbourhood Planning

Planning Advisory Service – Neighbourhood Planning

Completed (Made) Plans

Neighbourhood Plans that we have contributed to or supported and that have passed their examination and public referendum include:

Latest Made Plans

 

Other Made Plans

  • Angmering
  • Ardingly
  • Arundel
  • East Preston
  • Ferring December
  • Hamsey
  • Herstmonceux
  • Kingston
  • Lindfield & Lindfield Rural
  • Nuthurst
  • Plumpton
  • Rustington
  • Rye
  • Southbourne
  • Tangmere
  • Wisborough Green
  • Wivelsfield
  • Woldingham
  • Woodmancote

 

“Supporting rural communities in Sussex to be vibrant and diverse places in which to live and work.”