The Neighbourhood Flyer Plan
Your chance to help decide our future !
Saffron Walden Neighbourhood Plan team held an exhibition and consultation at the Town Hall over the first weekend of May and were pleased at the number of people who took part . Around 200 local residents visited the event and provided some important feedback on key questions about development in the town .
The exhibition focused on the core areas of the plan such as housing , design and heritage , green spaces , transport , sports , leisure , arts and community facilities , business and local economy , education and healthcare .
There were some interesting findings , for example , whilst a number of people said that they thought a relief road was vital to help deal with congestion in the town centre , others saw this as a dangerous move which would encourage even more development in Saffron Walden . They said that this would have a negative impact on the unique heritage and character of the town and that the town had already
reached its natural limit in terms of growth . Many people thought that HGVs should be banned in the town centre – unfortunately , this may be beyond the plan ’ s remit as it is a matter for Essex Highways but it has been useful to obtain people ’ s views .
There was a lot of interest in Education and a general view that more school places are needed in Saffron Walden to avoid children having to be bused to other schools in the area . It was agreed that , where possible , children should be able to attend their nearest school if preferred .
All the findings , once compiled , will be available on the Neighbourhood Plan website and will be used to help create a first draft of the Neighbourhood Plan by this autumn .
If you were unable to attend the consultation , but would like to know more , the poster presentation is available via the Neighbourhood Plan website at www . waldenplan . org along with more information on
16
Neighbourhood Planning in general . You can also sign up for emails to receive more information as the plan is developed further . Finally , the Neighbourhood Plan team welcomes all kinds of volunteers so if you are interested in any of the plan areas , please do not hesitate to contact the team via its website .
1 . What is Neighbourhood Planning ?
Neighbourhood planning allows the local community to have a say in shaping new development to ensure that it complements the existing heritage of the town . It can decide what type of development is required and what it should look like and can include policies regarding design standards . A Neighbourhood Plan can also make provision for sports , arts and community facilities , protected green spaces , business premises and deal with transport and access issues . It deals with land use where planning permission would normally be required .
2 . What can and can ’ t a Neighbourhood Plan do ?
A Neighbourhood Plan is not a tool to stop new development proposals from happening but is about shaping the development of a local area in a positive manner and should reflect local and national policies . Neighbourhood plans and orders should not promote less development than set out in the local plan or undermine its strategic policies . Neighbourhood plans need to be aspirational but they also need to be realistic and deliverable and in accordance with the District ’ s Local Plan .
3 . Can a neighbourhood plan promote more development than the local plan permits ?
Yes , it can – the National Planning Policy Framework ( NPPF ) makes explicit reference to the opportunity for neighbourhood plans to promote more development than is set out in the local plan .
THE FLYER | JUNE 2017
4 . Who is developing the Neighbourhood Plans ?
The development of the Neighbourhood Plans is being led by a team of volunteers enlisted by the Town Council . The current team includes several Town Councillors , a representative of Audley End estates , a representative of Saffron Walden Arts Trust , and several volunteers with a significant amount of local knowledge . On the Saffron Walden Neighbourhood Plan , there are a variety of ages , professions and backgrounds which should ensure that there is a fair and equal representation of views .
5 . What is the Neighbourhood Plan process ?
Creating a Neighbourhood Plan requires a four-stage process :
• Set a designated area for the Plan – this has been done and our Neighbourhood Area consists of the entire Parish of Saffron Walden
• Prepare and create the Plan , consult – this is where we are now
• Independent examination to check the plan meets the legislative requirements
• Referendum - if the Plan gets a simple majority it will be adopted and will have statutory force in determining future planning applications .
We are now at the second stage in the process for the Neighbourhood Plan . A series of consultation days and focus groups were held during 2016 looking at our draft objectives for each area and the team members are now drafting initial policies . They will be holding a series of consultation events throughout 2017 , including consultation events during May and June and a further series of focus groups in the Autumn .
6 . Is there any point in having a Neighbourhood Plan now that so many houses are already being built ?
Yes . The plan will have a life span of over 15 years so is designed to influence not just imminent planning applications but also future ones .
7 . Why does the Neighbourhood Plan make an assumption that so many houses will be built when these are not wanted by many local people ?
The decision to allocate housing to Saffron Walden is made by Uttlesford District Council as part of the District Plan process . A Neighbourhood Plan cannot be in conflict with the strategic policies in the District Plan , otherwise it will fail at the examination stage . The District is under pressure from the government which requires District Councils to ensure a five-year supply of land for building new homes . Without this , developers have even greater freedom to build . So , unless there is a change in government policy , it is certain that more housing land
Continued on Page 18 .
Please mention ‘ The Flyer ’ when responding to advertisements