August 2026 Newsletter Update

The Neighbourhood Plan (NP) Steering Group has continued to make good progress behind the scenes in preparing the next stages of the NP review process.  Following the consultation event held in February, all feedback has now been analysed and independently validated. The Steering Group is currently reviewing policies to ensure they align with both the Chichester Local Plan and national planning policy.

To support the next phase of work, the PC has appointed a specialist consultancy to prepare two key documents: the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA).  Both are statutory requirements and form an important part of the evidence base for the NP.

Although government grant funding for NPs has now been withdrawn, CDC has confirmed that the cost of these reports (approximately £18,000) can be met through Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding.  This means that there will be no impact on the Parish Precept, so residents are not meeting this cost – recent new housing in the village is paying for and allowing the village to determine future development sites.

Looking ahead, once these reports are complete, we will move to the first formal statutory consultation stage – the Regulation 14 consultation. This will provide residents with 6 weeks to review and comment on the draft NP and proposed site allocations.

As before, we intend to hold an exhibition in the Village Hall alongside making all information available online, helping to ensure as many residents as possible can take part.  We are hoping this consultation will take place in late Autumn but it will depend on the preparation of the SEA and HRA. Further details to follow after the summer. Please get involved when the times comes, it will be well advertised.

April 2026 Newsletter Update

We would like to thank everyone who attended the consultation event on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th February. Over 200 residents shared their thoughts and provided feedback on the sites assessed as having development potential.  You may recall that the village has been allocated a further 75 dwellings and it’s up to the village to determine where these homes go.

The insights and suggestions will guide the next steps. All feedback is now being carefully analysed and will be reviewed by an independent planning consultant to ensure a thorough and objective evaluation.  We will provide a further update as soon as the results are validated.

Although the consultation has now closed, for those of you who were unable to attend, the displays have been published on the village website.  A further consultation will be held in the Autumn.

November 2025 Update included in the Parish magazine and repeated in the December Parish Council newsletter.

The Chichester Local Plan was adopted by Chichester District Council in August. The Local Plan sets the housing allocation for Wisborough Green, which is 75 new homes between 2021 and 2039.

Barnfield Shaw (8 homes – under construction) and Tanglewood Nursery (10 homes – planning permission just approved) in Kirdford Road will count towards the 75.

In July we advertised a ‘Call for Sites’ to accommodate this new housing and over the summer, you may have seen some of us out and about around the village with our clipboards. This was the first stage of the NP process. We undertook a first inspection and assessment of the new sites put forward and reassessed previously offered sites for potential changes that may have occurred since our last assessment. To ensure that the assessment process has been applied uniformly, fairly and with rigour, the Parish Council has also engaged the services of an independent planning consultant and will be seeking further advice from Chichester District Council.

This information will be shared with the village at an important consultation in the Village Hall on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th February 2026.

More details will follow, but please make a note of these important dates.  Thank you.

August 2025 Newsletter Update

We included an update article and Call for Sites in the July Ad Vincula magazine. This article is still available on the Wisborough Green website  – www.wisboroughgreen.org This is an important issue for WG as it enables us, collectively as a village, to decide where new housing will be built.  We will be consulting further with the village later this year, so please keep an eye open for notifications in the Ad Vincula magazine.  Here is a summary of what was said.

A Neighbourhood Plan (NP) is a local planning document that allows villages like Wisborough Green to influence the type, design, and location of new housing developments required by the government. While it cannot change the number of houses allocated to the village (currently 75 additional homes between 2021 and 2039, on top of the original 68 allocated) the NP helps maintain some local control over how and where development happens.

NP review is necessary because the Chichester Local Plan (LP), which guides broader planning decisions, has now been updated. The NP must be revised to align with this updated LP and the government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

Without an up-to-date NP, site allocation decisions would be made by Chichester District Council (CDC), potentially ignoring local preferences. A valid NP also increases the village’s share of the Community Infrastructure Levy from 15% to 25%, funding improvements in local infrastructure.

The NP is created and updated by a Steering Group of local volunteers and Parish Council members. They review current policies, assess housing sites, and consult the public. Once finalised, the revised NP undergoes examination, a public referendum, and must be formally adopted by CDC.

March 2025 Newsletter Update

The first key update is the outcome of the Local Plan examination, which took place last November. The good news is that the examiners have confirmed the Plan is sound, with some suggested modifications. The post-hearing letter is now available on the CDC website, but we are still waiting to understand the full details and how these changes might impact our village. CDC is now working hard to make these modifications which will be on consultation. One thing we do know is that the district’s overall housing target has been increased, and we sincerely hope this won’t place additional pressure on Wisborough Green.