Neighbourhood plan which could 'preserve rural heritage' of Yapton approved by Parish Council

All revisions to the neighbourhood plan, which acts as an expression of the parish council’s wishes to developers and bodies like Arun District Council, were approved without complaint.

As a result, the revised plan will now be submitted to Arun District Council, bringing it one step closer to political reality.

The changes to the neighbourhood plan, which was originally approved in 2014, have been made in response to an extension of Yapton’s built up area boundary in the Arun District local plan.

Elaine Cordingley, who helped produce the revised plan, explained that “it is not a document to stop development plans, but a document to ensure good decision making that will protect our village’s heritage.”

The new plan, she said, looks to conserve green infrastructure, account for recent planning applications and enhance routes for pedestrians and cyclists to allow them to make the most of the area. The new plan also includes a design guide, designating Flansham and Bilsham as ‘areas of character’ in order to order to protect their heritage.