At their Council meeting on 21st January 2021, Petworth Town Council adopted an Infrastructure Business Plan which will help to prioritise investment within the Town over the coming years.
Petworth Town Council anticipates that in the next 5+ years there could be an additional 150 new dwellings in and around the town which will put significant pressure on the towns existing infrastructure which is already inadequate in certain respects.
It is vital that the provision of infrastructure does keep pace with the growing needs of the Town and in particular the new housing in the Plan Area.
The Infrastructure Business Plan (IBP) sets out the current understanding of infrastructure projects required by Petworth to support both the existing community and the anticipated growth consequent upon new development in the Plan Area.
The projects have been listed and prioritised in categories as defined by South Downs National Park own wider Infrastructure Plan. Estimated costs have been provided where possible, but it should be stressed that these are early thoughts on projects yet to be scoped in detail.
The IBP sets out priorities for the next 5 years and onwards and provides a clear reference point for infrastructure spend in the the Plan Area during that period.
Although infrastructure can be funded in different ways, there is a significant funding gap between the funding currently available and that required to deliver even the projects with the highest priority. For that reason the provision of Community Infrastructure Levy funding is vital for many of these projects to progress and the IBP provides a focus for procuring projects in the Town.
The amount of CIL funding is likely to vary from time to time and for that reason this IBP is a living document which will be kept under review.
This first edition of the IBP also provides clear information to enable our residents to contribute to and understand local infrastructure priorities in the plan for its future evolution.
Petworth Town Council thanks the many partners who were involved in producing the IBP for their time, contributions and support.
The Town Council would like to hear your views on the content of the Infrastructure Business Plan, particularly what projects within the Plan you feel are most important. Please find below the first edition of the Infrastructure Business Plan and a link to a survey which we would very much like residents and regular visitors to the Town to complete.