May 9 2016.


Seaford Town Council has been successful in obtaining a significant grant award for £8,922 towards the provision of the Seaford Neighbourhood Plan, which is currently in its early stages of creation.

Applications were sought from the government under it’s “My Community” scheme to assist with the preparation of Neighbourhood Plans across the country.

The Council was able to perfectly match the criteria of the grant  to successfully secure this contribution towards the costs of preparing a Neighbourhood Plan for the town.

Back in 2015 the Council agreed to begin work on a Neighbourhood Plan and earlier this year, Action in Rural Sussex was commissioned to facilitate the creation of a plan on behalf of the Council. A key part of the creation of a Neighbourhood Plan is the input from, and consultation with,the members of public and town residents. The first public meeting was held on the 20th of April, a video of which can be seen online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4mjPLoNoqA

After the launch, which about 140 people attended, 38 non-Councillors have volunteered to be members of the Steering Group or to participate in Focus Groups. These Focus Groups include; Housing and Development, Environment and Countryside, Facilities and Infrastructure, Local Economy, and Transport and Travel.

If you would like to be involved it is not too late - Complete a Volunteer Form and return it to the Council or the email contact on the form. Potential Steering Group members are being invited to a meeting very soon. The Focus Groups will convene in June; there will be a Housing Survey issued in May and also a "Call for Development Sites".

To find about more about the Neighbourhood Plan visit the Facebook site HERE where you can also watch the Launch Presentation. The Focus Groups are quite informal and time-limited, whereas the Steering Group is a bigger, but vital commitment.

Seaford Town Mayor, Dave Argent said: “We are delighted that the government has recognised the excellent work that Seaford provides for its residents and visitors. The £8,922 grant will ensure that this is a direct saving to the Council's annual budget for 2016/17. We are also delighted that this grant follows on from another successful award last month of over £4,000 towards Armed Forces Day.”

Visit www.seafordtowncouncil.gov.uk