At a meeting of Horsham Council's cabinet, councillors approved funding for a new community facility in Highwood, gave the go-ahead for refurbishment of The Capitol theatre, and adopted a new planning advice note. The cabinet also agreed to renew the designation of the Horsham Blueprint Business Neighbourhood Forum.

Highwood Community Facility

The cabinet approved the construction of a community facility at Highwood, including a hall, changing rooms, toilets and a car park. The decision is subject to call-in¹. The council also agreed to delegate authority to the Director of Place, in consultation with Councillor Jonathan Taylor, Cabinet Member for Enterprise and Property, to approve the final designs and award any necessary contracts. A recommendation was made to the council to approve a capital budget of £2.6 million for the 2026/27 financial year to fund the project.

The facility is intended to align with the Land West of Horsham Masterplan 2008 and feedback from a 2025 community consultation. The consultation indicated a need for fitness and wellness classes, social and community meetings, arts and crafts workshops, and indoor sports. Changing rooms were particularly required for female football players.

The council considered and rejected several alternative options:

• A facility for a nursery was considered in 2022, but was deemed not viable due to rising material costs.
• Providing only changing rooms, toilets and car parking at a cost of £1.9 million was initially considered, but was rejected in favour of including a community hall.
• Providing a much larger hall was rejected due to excessive cost and a lack of community support.

The Chief Finance Officer (CFO) did not support the decision, stating that there was no financial return and no payback and recommended that the cost of any facility on this site is kept to a minimum, being just the provision of changing rooms and toilet facilities to enable use of the playing facilities already on site.

The Capitol Refurbishment Project

The cabinet agreed to proceed with the refurbishment of The Capitol theatre, delegating authority to the Director of Communities, in consultation with Councillor David Skipp, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, Culture and Green Spaces, and the Director of Resources, to make non-material changes within the £10.2 million budget. The decision is subject to call-in.

The refurbishment project includes:

• Replacing theatre seating and improving facilities for wheelchair users
• Refurbishing both cinemas, including a redesign of the layout in screen one
• Improving public areas, including extending the bar and refreshing the box office
• Overhauling toilet provision, including increasing capacity for women and creating a Changing Places facility
• Replacing mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems
• Improving the external façade

The venue is planned to fully close from January 2026 until November 2026, when it will re-open for the pantomime.

The original plan included the installation of air source heat pumps (ASHPs), but this was deemed not viable due to the limited roof space and potential impact on neighbouring residents. Instead, energy-efficient gas boilers will be installed, which will be 'combined hydrogen ready'.

The Chief Finance Officer did not support the investment on financial grounds, given that it significantly worsens the council's revenue position, as the investment does not pay back.

Approval of the Shaping Development in Horsham District Planning Advice Note

The cabinet approved the Shaping Development in Horsham District Planning Advice Note (SDPAN) as a non-statutory planning guidance document, replacing the Facilitating Appropriate Development document. The decision is subject to call-in.

The SDPAN provides clear and consistent planning advice to aid applicants, stakeholders and decision makers in determining planning applications. It reflects updates to legislation, national policy and guidance, and the status of the emerging Horsham District Local Plan 2023-40.

The cabinet also granted authority to the Director of Place, in consultation with Councillor Ruth Fletcher, Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure, to make minor editorial changes and further changes to reflect updated legislation, national policy or guidance, or the status of the emerging local plan.

The SDPAN addresses various planning matters, including:

• Locational suitability
• Scale
• Deliverability
• Local housing needs
• Biodiversity
• Climate change
• Transport
• Design
• Heritage
• Employment
• Retail
• Infrastructure
• Gypsies and travellers
• Inclusive communities

The SDPAN also identifies sites proposed for allocation in the Horsham District Local Plan and encourages applicants to consider site-specific matters identified in the evidence base.

Redesignation of the Horsham Blueprint Business Neighbourhood Forum

The cabinet approved the redesignation of the Horsham Blueprint Business Neighbourhood Forum (HBBNF) as the neighbourhood forum for the area identified in Appendix D of the Redesignation of the Horsham Blueprint Business Neighbourhood Forum report for a further five years. The decision is subject to call-in.

The HBBNF was originally designated in 2015 and redesignated in 2020. The redesignation allows the HBBNF to continue working on the Horsham Blueprint Neighbourhood Plan.

The council held a consultation from 20 June 2025 to 8 August 2025, receiving 23 responses. 21 responses supported the redesignation, and no objections were received.

The council considered that the requirements for redesignation, as set out in section 7 of the Redesignation of the Horsham Blueprint Business Neighbourhood Forum report, had been met.

Revenues and Benefits Print and Despatch Contract Award

The cabinet approved a call-off from Lot 6 of the Crown Commercial Service RM6280 Framework for a print and despatch contract for the council's Revenues and Benefits service. The decision is subject to call-in.

The cabinet delegated authority to the Director of Resources, in consultation with Councillor Mark Baynham, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, to approve the award of a contract for a term of three years, extendable by one year, to a suitable supplier on the Framework.

The cabinet also delegated authority to the Director of Resources, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, to finalise the terms and conditions of the contract and approve the entering into of the contract.