Handforth residents and other interested parties are being urged to have their say on the proposed Handforth Neighbourhood Development Plan, which allows the community to say what they want their priorities to be over the next 15 years.
The submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan along with its supporting documents, including a Consultation Statement and a Basic Conditions Statement, were approved at the Handforth Parish Council meeting in February.
Subsequently a six week consultation was launched which was scheduled to finished on Friday, 30th March. However, this has now been extended giving Handforth residents until April 3rd to make any representations to Cheshire East Council.
The Handforth Neighbourhood Development Plan consultation invites residents, businesses, employees and community groups to suggest how Handforth should develop to meet future needs.
However, according to the portal on the Cheshire East Council website only 8 responses have been received to date, 3 of which are from statutory consultees and 5 of which are comments noting support for the neighbourhood plan from residents.
The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group is keen to let residents know they have an opportunity to comment on the plan.
Dr Roger Small, Chair Handforth Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, said "The Handforth Neighbourhood Plan has been drawn up following widespread consultation with local residents, interest groups, headteachers, health centres, businesses, property developers and landowners. Within the constraints imposed by the Cheshire East Local Plan and the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations, the Plan seeks to protect Handforth from further loss of greenbelt land. It seeks to protect Handforth's community facilities, listed buildings, non-designated heritage assets, local green spaces, and incidental open spaces.
"The plan recognises the extensive house building that is planned both within the parish and on the parish borders. Very importantly, therefore, the Plan seeks to mitigate the effects of such house building on the provision of education, the provision of healthcare and on local traffic congestion. The need for improved parking facilities in the village centre, improved public transport and improved employment opportunities is also recognised by the Plan.
"Handforth Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group hope and trust that they have correctly identified the principal needs of their community. If that is the case, then local residents and other interested parties are urged to send supportive representations to Cheshire East Council. Such representations will subsequently receive the attention of an inspector who will be appointed to examine the Plan."
The Submission Version of the Neighbourhood Plan, the Consultation Statement and the Basic Conditions Statement can be viewed on the Cheshire East Planning website. The same documents are available for inspection on the Handforth Neighbourhood Plan website or in hard copy in Handforth library.
Representations can be made online using the CEC consultation portal, by email to [email protected] or in writing to Spatial Planning, Cheshire East Council, Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach CW11 1HZ.
Any representations made may include a request to be notified of Cheshire East Council's decision on the proposed plan.
Representations must be received by 7pm on Tuesday 3rd April 2018.
The drafting of the Submission Version of the Handforth Neighbourhood Plan represents the culmination of 15 months work by the nine volunteer members of the Steering Group and Parish Clerk Ashley Comiskey Dawson who undertook the role of Secretary and Responsible Financial Officer.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Ooh, an opportunity to comment. Well this has certainly got me interested.....
Woeful indeed, why bother giving up our paid or non-paid time to comment on things we have no real control over?
Cheshire East oversee this stage the process as part of the validation.
Recent events have proved it to be a complete waste of time.
Local democracy is non-existent.
That's the reality.
CEC would have more credibility if they had the courage to acknowledge it.
A "Neighbourhood plan" is the principle "tool" to let residents have there say in the planning process of their "Neighbourhood".
Why? Because it is a "statutory document", which the Planning authority cannot legally ignore. If they do then there are grounds for a challenge via the appeals process.
BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT. This is a Neighbourhood Plan, which means it is drawn up by people who LIVE in Handforth, and unlike Cheshire East Council, actually CARE about what happens in Handforth.
The comments/criticisms/encouragements you, as residents of Handforth, make in this consultation will most certainly NOT be ignored by Handforth Parish Council.
The Neighbourhood Planning Group who spent hundreds of hours researching, listening, and drafting for this Plan are all residents of Handforth who care very much for their village. Handforth Parish Council commissioned this group of residents - none of whom are councilors - to draw up this plan, as concerned residents, NOT as politicians, precisely because it was believed to be crucially important that it should be residents' opinions that drove the ideas, not any political prejudice.
So if you DO have any views - positive or negative - about what's in the proposed plan PLEASE make your views known - your views genuinely WILL be considered.
I have to admit, I've become very cynical indeed about "consultations" over the last few years, but believe me, this is a true, genuine opportunity for you to help shape what happens in Handforth over he coming years.
We can't change what Cheshire East have imposed upon us in their appalling "Local Plan", but we do have some control over the detail in individual districts within our neighbourhood, so do please look at it and see what might affect you.
Thankyou very much
.
Brian Tolver
Councillor, Handforth Parish Council
Why such a poor response from the public? Apathy - NO! Loss of confidence in Cheshire East Council - YES!!! CEC's preferred executive style of local government has too few councillors making key decisions. This small number of councillors vote as directed by their political party without regard to the clearly and vociferously stated wishes of residents.
Stuart Redgard's statement, '...planning authority cannot legally ignore.' Correct, but having given the recommendations consideration (of sorts), they can, and do, disregard them.
Re Cllr Brian Tolver's letter; thank you for expressing those observation and for recognising the work of the Handforth Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group,of which I am a member (as local resident).
Vic Barlow's statement, 'CEC would have more credibility if....'. In the opinion of the majority of residents, CEC has absolutely NO credibility. In the opinion of The Local Government Ombudsman, CEC is the second worst performing council in the country.
Residents might well feel powerless in local matters, for good reason. They might well feel it pointless to express their preferences, as is evidenced by years of being ignored. But I would encourage residents to voice their dissatisfaction with the performance (or should that be pantomime ) of Cheshire East Council.
Residents deserve a better service which recognises public preferences, from their council.
We can't be seen to spending it on, say, pot holes, or social care locally..