St Neots Neighbourhood Plan moves to independent examination.
18th December 2014
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St Neots Neighbourhood Plan moves to independent examination.
A key local initiative is due to take a big step forward next month. The St Neots Neighbourhood Plan has been scheduled for independent examination from 12th January 2015, to assess that the objectives and policies outlined in the community led plan are fit to move forward to an official referendum, where local residents will be able to vote whether or not to approve the plan.
It’s been a busy year in the development of the St Neots Neighbourhood Plan – with an initial community consultation in late 2013 and early 2014, leading to publication of the plan in April and a broader district wide consultation between July and September.
The St Neots Neighbourhood Plan has enabled the town to have a unique say in the development of the community for the first time. Coordinated by St Neots Town Council, its objectives and policies focus on how to protect existing facilities and assets, improve local infrastructure and create new employment opportunities and community activities in the heart of St Neots.
A large number of individuals, community groups and businesses contributed throughout the development process, making the St Neots Neighbourhood Plan a real community led project.
The community is key moving forward too - if approved by the independent examiner, the plan will be subject to a referendum in the town. If the plan is accepted by the local voters, it will immediately form part of the local planning policy for St Neots.
Speaking about the next stage of the process, Town Clerk Ed Reilly said:
“The development of the St Neots Neighbourhood Plan has been a focus not only at the Town Council but across the whole community and we were delighted to see so many residents and businesses participate in our consultations earlier this year. We look forward to seeing the independent examination report; with the hope that we will then be able to ask the community to vote on the Plan contents and put the town in charge of its development for the first time.”
The independent examination has been organised by the Planning Services team at Huntingdonshire District Council; who have confirmed that Ann Skippers will be the examiner for the St Neots Neighbourhood Plan. Ann Skippers is a chartered town planner with over twenty years’ experience in a career that has spanned local government, academia and private consultancy. It is expected that the examiner will be needed for approximately seven days, to review the plan contents in details and assess its viability and all parties have agreed a start date of 12 January 2015.
Further information on the St Neots Neighbourhood Plan can be accessed from a dedicated page on the St Neots Town Council website at www.stneots-tc.gov.uk/stneotsplan
