What is the Hassocks Priorities Statement?
Hassocks Parish Council spent many years producing a Neighbourhood Plan which was finally agreed in 2020. That Plan was based on consultation carried out with the community between 2014 and 2016 and a lot of things have changed since then. For instance:
• We have left the European Union and seen some of the implications of that decision;
• Hassocks has grown and is continuing to grow with new residents joining our community;
• We have had a pandemic which significantly affected all our lives, and in some cases permanently changed the way we live and work;
• We are all more aware now of the climate and biodiversity crisis and some of the actions we can take to effect and adapt to that; and
• We now have the cost-of-living crisis and the prospect of a recession.
In the light of all these changes the Parish Council wants to update its understanding of the priorities that the community has for the parish of Hassocks (including Keymer and Clayton). However, it does not think it is the right time to review the Neighbourhood Plan itself as making the Plan was a very lengthy and costly exercise. Furthermore the current planning system is in flux both nationally and locally which increases the risk of any Plan we produce becoming out of date before it’s even finished.
Instead, we have taken up one of the ideas in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill currently going through Parliament to produce a Neighbourhood Priorities Statement. This is a much simpler document that can be produced far more quickly. It can also cover a significantly wider remit than just planning and include everything that makes Hassocks the place that it is. A Priorities Statement does what it says on the tin - it sets out what a community thinks are the most important issues for its area and how they should be addressed. This will then inform the Parish Council’s work plan and how it spends its resources. It will also guide how it responds to consultations by other organisations and will help those organisations understand what Hassocks residents and businesses need and take that into account when providing services and facilities.
You can help us by completing the paper survey in this magazine (Hassocks Life December 22) or online. This survey asks:
1. What do we want Hassocks to be like in 10 years’ time? (The Vision) and
2. What are the most important issues for our area and how should they be addressed to achieve this vision? (The Priorities).
Hassocks Neighbourhood Priorities Statement
For further details and a link to the online survey please see www.hassocks-pc.gov.uk If you have a smart device, you can also scan this QR code below to complete the survey electronically. Alternatively key in (or click) this link into your browser: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HLNRR99