Handforth gets to work on creating Neighbourhood Plan

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Work is now well underway to create a Neighbourhood Plan for Handforth, which is a community led plan that sets out the vision and policies for the future development of the village.

Neighbourhood Plans allow communities to say what they want their priorities to be over the next 15 years and once completed they have the power of the law. Planning Officers will refer to Neighbourhood Plans when considering planning applications for new developments in and around the village, which means they can have a real and positive impact on the village's future.

The preparation of a Neighbourhood Plan has significant cost implications. While Handforth Parish Council have ring fenced £7,000 for 2017 and £7,500 for 2018 for the project, the neighbourhood planning group intend to apply to national government for a £9000 grant, which is the maximum amount. If their application is successful, this will be used to reduce the need to draw on the monies already ring fenced by the Parish Council.

The group that will steer the drafting of the Handforth Neighbourhood Plan held an inaugural meeting last month and currently comprises of ten local residents.

Roger Small and Alan Murdoch have agreed to act as Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson respectively whilst the Parish Clerk Ashley Comiskey-Dawson has agreed to act as Secretary for the group which will be based in the Youth Centre on Old Road.

Roger Small explained "It is difficult, at this stage, to estimate the cost of producing a neighbourhood plan. Our costs will include the printing and delivering of questionnaires to approximately 5000 homes, the costs of printing both draft and final versions of the neighbourhood plan and hiring rooms for public meetings. We will also have to purchase advice from experts in town planning, traffic consultants and the like. Our financial affairs will be managed by the parish clerk who will ensure that the overall cost will be within the sums ring fenced by the Parish Council.

"We have been advised by the neighbourhood planning manager of Cheshire East Council that, providing our neighbourhood plan is adopted by the Council, a substantial sum of CIL money associated with the North Cheshire Garden Village will come to the parish over the plan period. Our spend in producing a neighbourhood plan therefore seems like a good, long term investment."

There are three main stages to producing a neighbourhood plan:

Stage 1: Submitting the proposed neighbourhood area to the local authority for designation.
The group have already informed Cheshire East Council (CEC) that the Handforth neighbourhood area will comprise all that land within the existing parish boundaries. These boundaries approximate to: Dobbin Brook in the west, the A555 in the north, Blossoms Lane in the east and the River Dean in the south. The group are exploring the possibility that strategic site CS49 (between Sagars Road and Clay Lane) might be transferred from Styal to the Handforth neighbourhood area. Representations with regard to Handforth's proposed neighbourhood area must be received by Cheshire East Council before 13th January.

Stage 2: Preparing the plan
Plan preparation involves publicity, community consultation and the building of an evidence base. This will inform the development of a vision and/or aims for the plan. Community engagement and consultation will be necessary at all stages in the plan-making process. The group are in the process of drafting a questionnaire seeking the views of Handforth residents and will hold a number of public meetings in the early part of 2017.

Stage 3: Bringing the plan into force
The proposed neighbourhood plan will be submitted to CEC who will check that proper procedures have been followed and that the draft plan is accompanied by appropriate assessments and evidence. Following a period of publicity, CEC will arrange for an independent examination of the draft plan. Provided that the draft plan meets legal requirements, CEC will then organise a public referendum. It will be necessary for more than 50% (of those voting) to respond "yes" in the referendum to bring the neighbourhood plan into force.

Roger Small added "The Neighbourhood Planning Group would like Handforth residents to be aware that a neighbourhood plan has to be consistent with the strategic requirements of the CEC Local Plan. However, a well-designed Neighbourhood Plan may serve to lessen the impact of any major developments within, or on the margins, of the parish. If adopted by CEC, it will increase the amount of S106/CIL monies designated for the parish and lead to the provision of services and infrastructure that residents feel are required."

Photo( left to right) Ashley Comiskey Dawson, Roger Small and Alan Murdoch.

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Handforth Neighbourhood Plan
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