THE REFERENDUM - IT'S A LANDSLIDE!

The result of East Grinstead's Referendum on housebuilding plans was declared at the Parish Hall on Thursday night 19 June. A majority of 96% of the voters decided that they do not want 2500+ houses built in East Grinstead. Some 20% of East Grinstead's electors turned out to vote down the controversial proposals.

Full details are shown on our home page and associated Turnout link.

Tony Lane, of Lewes Road, East Grinstead, who led the call for the Referendum at the Town Meeting on 21 May, commented as follows:

"At long last the people of East Grinstead have been able to say what they think, after too long being told what they think. They have voted the clearest possible NO to Councillors' proposals for massive over-development. The NO vote exceeds the votes obtained by many of the Councillors who initiated the rejected development plan. Clearly these plans will now be have to be abandoned.

The Referendum will give an invaluable steer to East Grinstead's Councillors, at Town, District and County levels, who now need to realign their policies with the requirements of their electors. It will help them to work with the people instead of against them. Councillors can then begin the task of rebuilding the confidence they have lost, and undoing the damage they have done. If they work sincerely and hard at this, I believe the people will forgive the past.

If Councillors and voters begin working together, the over-development nightmare could soon be over".

The Referendum has been held under the provisions of the 1972 Local Government Act. This requires the Town Council to hold a popular vote if there is sufficient support from electors. The Referendum is not legally binding on Councillors, and it is for them to consider how to respond to it.

The housing development plans at issue are those contained in the West Sussex County Council's Draft Structure Plan for 2001-16. This proposed disproportionate development at East Grinstead, because while most towns fought to keep development at bay, while East Grinstead's Town Councillors invited it in.

The plans would have entailed the building of 2500+ new houses at Imberhorne farm, or at alternative sites on the West or South West of the town. They would have added about a third to East Grinstead's population, equivalent to the addition of a small new town about the size of Edenbridge. The plans would also have entailed a new relief road driven through the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The spotlight now moves to Chichester, where the County Council is in the course revising its Draft Structure Plan. In the light of the Referendum, the County Council will need to take new information into account, namely that its plans for East Grinstead are unacceptable to the people of the town.

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