Washington lies at the foot of the South Downs, midway between Steyning and Storrington, Worthing and Horsham. It falls within the area administered by Horsham District Council. Following the boundary changes in 2003, the Parish is now comprised of two wards – Washington and Heath Common. Although the smaller in area, Heath Common has the larger population.

This document represents current Parish views and desires stretching over the next 10 to 15 years. Many of the suggested actions are already under active consideration and may even be completed by the time that this document is published. Some are rather more speculative and would require a priority and funding that is not currently likely to be available in the near future.

The main source of information was the Parish Appraisal, to which an encouraging 430 out of 698 recipients (62%) responded, making the replies and comments very representative. Other valuable sources included public responses at a Village Day stand, the Heath Common Village Design Statement, “The Washington Story”, The Washington Village Appraisal (1988-90), and many helpful people from HDC, WSCC and various local organisations.

The Parish Plan development team consisted of four sub-groups, each made up of parish councillors and interested members of the public. Each of the four main sections therefore stands in its own right, but some topics may be mentioned more than once.

The overwhelming response from the Parish relates to concerns on traffic issues. This is reflected in the relative size of Section Two.