Perhaps the most important aspect
of the Society's work is the active part it
plays in the town planning process. We are
working with the Neighbourhood Councils and
North Horsham Parish Council to produce a Design Statement
for Horsham. We have also spoken out (with
great success) against certain proposals for the
Local Development Framework, and developments
such as Ramsey Close green and Jenny Barelegs
field. In these pages we'll be keeping you
up to date with our activities.
HDC's policy documents frequently
contain references to the necessity of a high
standard of design, probably in response to
government exhortations to promote good design,
but they have not always had much effect. A
recent move unarguably puts design at the heart
of the system.
Ministers have now accepted an
amendment to the Planning and Compulsory
Purchase Act 2004 that puts the pursuit of
design quality on an equal footing with
sustainability as a fundamental duty of
planners. This not only strengthens planners'
hands in rejecting poor design applications but
calls upon them to filter out the banal and
mediocre. Even more importantly from the point
of view of The Horsham Society it can also be
seen as providing a mandate for local design
champions and local design review panels.
Letters of Representation to
HDC Planning Department
