This summer sees an array of activities focused on Lewes of the past & future. An important event for the future of our town will be the Neighbourhood Plan Open Day in the Town hall on Saturday 16th August, 10am to 4pm.

Many of you will ask what is the Neighbourhood Plan all about? Why participate? Who will benefit? Will my contribution matter? Of course all these questions will be answered on 16th August. The main focus will be on interactive participation, using local people’s experience and understanding of the town to shape the future of Lewes. One of the primary aims of the Lewes Neighbourhood Plan is to create a vision for 20 years hence that reflects our desires, lifestyles and dreams – and our hopes for future generations.

The Open Day will enable residents of Lewes to identify pressing topics within the topic areas already identified by the steering group. There will be a carousel of areas to be considered when planning for the future of our town covering:

• Housing
• Transport
• Ecosystems, sustainability and energy
• Tourism, economy & business
• Community infrastructure

Facilitators and speakers will guide residents through interactive exercises that will map and tease out crucial concerns and comments to feed into our Neighbourhood Plan. There will also be more in depth sessions on housing and ecosystem services to improve our understanding of the issues.

Your input to this process is critical, we need to know and understand what local people want for the future of Lewes. If the Neighbourhood Plan can demonstrate that it reflects the wider views of Lewes, pass a government examination and a local referendum then it becomes a formal part of the planning system. This means, if successful, the Neighbourhood Plan will carry legal weight when officers in the Local Planning Authority assess planning applications.

So this is your chance to make history by contributing to the future of Lewes Town. Please come and join us in the town hall on Saturday 16th August and have your say.

If you are unable to join us on the day we will publish our findings and people can make comment via the facebook or webpage. If you would like to volunteer to help with the running of our open day, or feel you can contribute to one of the topics listed above please contact Susan Murray on 473912 or susan2.murray@talktalk.net