The Localism Act 2011 gives local communities the right to establish local forums, comprising no less than 21 people from a designated area, to develop neighbourhood plans. Such plans offer the tempting possibility of local people exercising a greater degree of control over local planning policy/decisions.
Representatives of the Ladywell Village Improvement Group and the Ladywell Society will meet Council officers in early May to discuss the best way of ensuring that local planning policy best reflects the needs of Ladywell. It may be that statutory requirements around neighbourhood plans are onerous and expensive and that a better route, to achieve the same end, will be to modify or better use existing planning controls. Issues for discussion might include (i) site briefs for potential development sites such as Watergate School site, Mercy Terrace etc.; (ii) criteria to prevent over-saturation of takeway etc. uses; (iii) tighter shopfront and streetscape policies; (iv) a presumption that new buildings will respect the scale of existing, predominently Victorian/Edwardian character; (v) protection of amenity/views, esp. from Ladywell Fields and Hilly Fields; and (vi) a clear presumption against 'backland' and back garden development.
YOUR THOUGHTS WELCOMED ON WHAT A LOCAL PLAN MIGHT USEFULLY INCLUDE!
