The Stedham with Iping Neighbourhood Development Plan (SINDP) referendum took place on 6th May 2021 alongside the elections for the Police & Crime Commissioner for Sussex and a Councillor for West Sussex County Council. 

The question asked in the referendum was:

‘Do you want the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) to use the Neighbourhood Development Plan for the Parish of Stedham with Iping to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?’

The result was:

Number cast in favour of a  YES – 269

Number cast in favour of a  NO – 34

It was therefore declared that as more than half of those voting had voted in favour of the Stedham with Iping Neighbourhood Plan: SDNPA formally “made” the Stedham with Iping NDP during their Planning Committee meeting held on 10th June 2021. Minutes of the meeting can be viewed by clicking on the Web address below in blue text – see Item 11.

SDNPA Meeting Minutes 10th June 2021

The key point is that the Stedham with Iping NDP, by receiving a majority Yes vote, has full weight in any planning decision and is now considered as part of the Development Plan for the Parish.

Referendum Information & Documentation

The information “Statement for Referendum” on 6th May 2021 (which can be downloaded here; Statement for Referendum) lists the documents which must be made available to voters and how to access them either online or as hard copy. The documents are:

  1. The referendum version of the Stedham with Iping Neighbourhood Development Plan
  2. The Independent Examiner’s Report on the draft Stedham with Iping NDP
  3. Summary of the representations submitted to the Independent Examiner
  4. The Decision Statement sets out that SDNP agrees that the Stedham with Iping NDP meets the basic conditions and relevant Regulations
  5. Information for Voters sets out general information as to town and country planning (including neighbourhood planning) and the referendum (included within the ‘Stedham with Iping NDP)

Steps leading up to the Referendum

In the summer  of 2017 the Parish Ciuncil sent out a questionnaire to all dwellings in the parish, held a number of drop-in sessions, set up a Steering Group (SG) and sent out a Call for Sites to all landowners in the parish. The SG met regularly and considered evidence for many aspects of the NP. These discussions included Heritage Assets, Site Assessments, the Local Economy, the Settlement Boundary, Open Spaces, Key Views, the Natural Environment, Transport and Public Rights of Way. We have put these documents from the SG on our website, below.

The Evidence Base was then used to draw up the Neighbourhood Plan, which the Parish Council agreed should go to the Statutory Regulation 14 Consultation. This public consultation started on 5 April 2018 and finished at midnight on 17 May 2018. A letter was sent to all households, as well as all statutory consultees to inform residents and others of this and there was an opportunity to view the Evidence Base and discuss the draft plan at drop-in sessions in the Memorial Hall.

Responses were received from residents, statutory consultees and various other organisations as well as landowners.

The Draft NP was then passed to South Downs National Park Authority, as our planning authority. The SDNPA held a Regulation 16 Consultation to which statutory bodies and anyone else could submit responses. These responses together with the Regulation 16 Draft Neighbourhood Plan were then sent to the Examiner.

The Examiner asked a series of questions of the SDNPA, our planning authority and of the Steering Group. The letter can be viewed by clicking : Examiner’s Request for Clarification. The Steering Group and the Parish Council considered the questions, the proposed answers and feedback from the SDNPA during SIPC meetings held on 12th September, 21st October and 14th November 2019. It was then agreed that the Decision Statement should be presented at the SDNPA Planning Committee on 16th January 2020, postponed from the 12th December because of the General Election.  The SDNPA Planning Committee voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the Examiner such that SIPC’s Neighbourhood Plan could proceed to Public Referendum.

Further information on the development of Stedham with Iping’s neighbourhood Plan can be requested by contacting the Clerk.