Public to vote on future of neighbourhood

2 hours ago

Sarah Booker-LewisLDRS

News image — A simple majority will be needed for the neighbourhood plan to be approved

Getty Images A hand places a ballot paper into a black ballot box at a polling station. The box has a numbered label on its lid and a red security seal attached to the slot, with a voter holding paperwork standing behind it in a hall. — A simple majority will be needed for the neighbourhood plan to be approved

Residents in an area of Brighton could go to the polls this autumn to decide whether to approve a neighbourhood plan covering housing, green spaces and transport.

Brighton & Hove City Council has approved plans for a referendum on the draft Coldean Neighbourhood Plan after it passed an inspection.

If a simple majority backs the plan, it will become part of the framework used to help determine planning applications in the area.

The draft plan aims to encourage more family-sized homes, limit the spread of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and protect local green spaces and wildlife habitats.

LDRS A map showing the Coldean neighbourhood area in Brighton outlined with a black boundary. The map includes residential streets, surrounding green spaces, parts of the South Downs National Park and nearby neighbourhoods. A key identifies the Coldean boundary, national park land and local authority boundary. — The proposed neighbourhood plan covers the Coldean area of Brighton

Councillors gave the go-ahead for a referendum at a full council meeting on Thursday, with the vote likely to take place in September, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Labour councillor Tobias Sheard said: "After years of sweat, tears and blood – from the occasional paper cut – this local plan has passed its inspection and can now go to the residents."

Green councillor Raphael Hill said there were still many people who had not engaged with the process, adding: "We should do better with trying to ensure with the referendum we get a high turnout."

Coldean Neighbourhood Planning Forum chair Patrick Lowe said the plan "inspires good planning applications and encourages more family-friendly homes while reducing HMOs".

The draft plan includes 16 policies covering housing, transport, design, crime prevention, open spaces, wildlife habitat protection and the environment.

The forum hopes the plan will strengthen the area's identity.

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