Press Release – October 2020
‘Hailsham Aspires’ Launches Next Stage of Consultation with Local Community
Hailsham Aspires, created by Wealden District Council to bring forward plans to enhance and regenerate Hailsham Town Centre, is embarking upon its next stage of consultation as it looks to continue to engage with key local stakeholders.
Following on from an initial successful consultation period conducted over August – November 2019 with more than 800 respondents, Hailsham Aspires is now launching further stakeholder engagement to understand thoughts on the project brief and guiding principles for the Hailsham Aspires masterplan
The regeneration project aims to address the current challenges facing the town centre and boost support for the local community through contributing to economic growth and encouraging investment.
In line with the ‘Vision for Hailsham’ identified in the Hailsham Neighbourhood Plan, Hailsham Aspires is committed to creating a bright future for the town as a key growth area in East Sussex.
The first stage of consultation explored the aspirations of those that live, work in or visit Hailsham, asking a range of questions on key topics including retail and recreation, leisure and public space, heritage and environment, transport, access to public services and housing. A desire to see more landscaping, trees and green spaces was popular, as was improved access for pedestrians, cyclists, and enhanced sustainability measures. Respondents were keen for regeneration to enhance and be sympathetic to Hailsham’s history and heritage.
Incorporating respondents’ feedback into the Hailsham Aspires Masterplan, the project aspires to:
- Re-energise the town centre through new retail and environmental opportunities (including tree-lined streets) while retaining Hailsham’s unique character
- Create high quality green open spaces to support diverse activities whilst boosting biodiversity
- Enhance connectivity through arrival points, plazas, new connections and crossings
- Address a need for new housing through delivering attractive homes with diverse tenures and well-planned, cohesive neighbourhoods.
Hailsham Aspires is currently engaging with key stakeholders to understand thoughts on the foundations of the development’s masterplan and will be launching a wider public consultation stage from 5th January – 28th February 2021 so that everyone has an opportunity to have their say on the masterplan. Currently we are anticipating this will mainly have to take place virtually, but we also hope to hold some in person events available across the two months, dependent on Government guidelines and social distancing requirements.
The consultation materials will also be available offline.
