A COMMITTEE aimed at ensuring Petersfield grows in accordance with the newly-adopted town plan has set out its agenda.

The Petersfield Neighbourhood Plan was adopted after a referendum, held in November, and the committee will now ensure its vision for the town isn’t ignored.

The new Town Development Committee will be driven by the town council, but its membership will include residents and representatives from groups such as The Petersfield Society.

Committee chairman and town councillor John Palmer believes that unless the plan is actively pushed, innovative aspirations such as 100 self-build homes, may fall by the wayside.

He said: “The planning aspects of it will be used all the time when planning applications are being decided.

“But the aspirational side will need to be taken forwards, it won’t just happen.

“And self-build homes on Bell Hill are one priority.

“When approving the plan the government inspector had his doubts about the concept, but said as it was such an innovative idea that could work, he was happy for it to remain in the plan.”

Already more than 60 people have registered to be prospective self-builders, added Cllr Palmer.

The houses will be more affordable than market value homes, and will be for people who have worked, or lived, in the town for more than 12 months, or have other local connections.

Cllr Palmer said: “People moving here won’t be eligible, and that restriction will be there in perpetuity. Being self build, and by restricting who can live in them, will see them stay affordable.”

It is hoped that work on the site, putting in roads, power and sewers, will have begun by the end of the year, or early in 2017.

Cllr Palmer also sees making the town centre, starting at the railway station, continuing along Lavant and Chapel streets, into The Square and High Street, more pedestrian and cycle friendly.

He said: “The neighbourhood plan has set out a vision for the town center, and the plan to cut down trees there, which has now been stopped, is being seen as the ideal opportunity to start looking at how a start can be made on implementing the vision in the plan.

“This involves altering the priority to favour pedestrians rather than cars, the roads and The Square will become shared spaces, with pedestrians the priority.”

The first meeting of the committee is expected next month but a date has not yet been set.

Another innovation will be that the public meetings will be on Friday afternoons.

This will be so that East Hampshire District Council, South Downs National Park Authority and Hampshire County Council representatives can attend.