Welcome To Ditchling Parish Council

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South Downs Park Local Plan review - proposed development site in East End Lane

The South Downs Local Plan is being reviewed to ensure it is up-to-date and addresses important issues such as nature recovery, climate change, affordable housing and helping local communities thrive.

As part of this a development site for 5 houses has been put forward in East End Lane.

For information about proposed allocations in East Sussex - Click Here  

Information about this can be found on page 158 of the review consultation document.  This and all the supporting information can be found at https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/planning-policy/the-south-downs-local-plan-review/.

An eight-week consultation is now open as the National Park invites people to have their say on how and where development takes place.

This is the main opportunity for people to help shape the final plan, so the National Park Authority is inviting comments from local communities, stakeholders and the development sector. This feedback will then help shape the next version of the Local Plan, which will be published in 2026 ahead of its submission for examination by an independent inspector. Once the new Local Plan is adopted in 2027, it will be used to help decide all planning applications in the National Park.

Comments need to be made by 17 March. The parish council’s response will be discussed at its meeting on 25 February.

Responses to the consultation can be made in the following ways:

You can also find out more at one of the Local Plan Review drop-in events at:

  • Lewes – Saturday, 15 February 1.30-4pm at Cliffe Hall, 28 Cliffe High Street, BN7 2AH

      *   Petworth – Wednesday, 12 February between 3.30pm and 7.30pm at            Leconfield Hall, Market Square, Petworth, GU28 0AH.

About this Website

Here you can find out how the parish council is serving the community, as we attempt to improve the quality of life in the parish, and work to represent the interests of its residents.

The site aims to provide our community with easy access to the minutes of council meetings and information about council initiatives, work and projects. The council is here to serve you and try to make a difference for the better.

The parish is about 10km long and 1.6 km wide with a population of just over 2,000 in around 880 dwellings. It is centred around Ditchling village which lies at the foot of the South Downs in the South Downs National Park. The ancient settlement stands around a crossroads, with Brighton to the south, Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath to the north, Keymer and Hassocks to the west, and Lewes to the east. It is built on a spur of land between the Sussex Downs and the Sussex Weald. One of the highest points on the South Downs, Ditchling Beacon, overlooks the village.

The village is probably best known for its contribution to the early 20th century Arts and Crafts Movement and for being the home of the late Dame Vera Lynn. Eric Gill, the sculptor and typeface designer, and his apprentice Joseph Cribb came to Ditchling in 1907 and were soon followed by other craftspeople. In1921 the Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic, a Roman Catholic community of artists and craftspeople, was founded a few miles north of Ditchling village on Ditchling Common, inspired by ideals of the medieval craft guilds. The legacy of the Guild led to the creation of the award-winning Ditchling Museum of Art+Craft, opened in 2013.

The clerk can be contacted at parishoffice@ditchling-pc.gov.uk or 01273 844733 during office hours on Tuesday to Thursday.

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1-3 Ditchling Gardens (Formerly the Scout Hut)

The Parish Council is exploring options for the use of 1-3 Ditchling Gardens (Formerly the Scout Hut)

See here for a summary of the current situation. 

Update (January 2024) 

The initial report is available here.

INITIAL REPORT 

Ditchling aerial shot

Ditchling Village Association

The Ditchling Village Association (DVA) co-ordinates the activities of the various clubs and societies in the village and promotes co-operation between all sections of the community.

Ditchling.com