Wilmslow Town Council has agreed to put plans on hold to produce a neighbourhood plan for Wilmslow despite some initial support for the project.
Over 100 residents attended a public meeting held by the Town Council on September 30th, to highlight and debate the benefits, limitations and drawbacks of Wilmslow undertaking to produce a neighbourhood plan.
At the end of the meeting 57 of the attendees indicated they were in favour of producing a Neighbourhood Plan and of those ten people expressed an interest in becoming an active volunteer.
However, Wilmslow Town Council agreed at this week's meeting not to proceed with the project which would be a substantial undertaking and could cost taxpayers over £100,000.
Cllr Adrian Bradley said "Since this time a skills audit has been undertaken of those volunteers, what is regrettable is that only 6 responded. The audit identified a high level of expertise in a number of areas however the professional planning experience that we were hoping for was lacking. Clearly we need to have a planner on the panel.
"Since that time the Core Strategy has emerged as a consultation document and one of the reasons many people were against a Neighbourhood Plan is because it is supposed to inform or guide the Local Plan which is Cheshire East's version. Their Local Plan is well down the way to being approved and it would be almost impossible for us to achieve a Neighbourhood Plan in time to have an influence on the Local Plan."
The Strategic Planning Panel of Wilmslow Town Council has considered the current situation and a majority of the panel feel that the Town Council should not initiate a Neighbourhood Plan for Wilmslow at this time but defer a decision until after the Core Strategy consultation, they have a clearer indication of costs and sufficiently experienced volunteers.
Cllr Bradley concluded "There was no strong driver at this time for creating a Neighbourhood Plan so I propose that Wilmslow Town Council does not initiate a Neighbourhood Plan at this time, but revisit this matter during the first half of the Council year 2014/2015."
Wilmslow Town Council voted by a majority in favour of this motion, however two councillors voted against - for very different reasons.
Cllr Christopher Dodson voted against the motion saying "I don't myself see any advantage in delay. The process of producing a Neighbourhood Plan could take years and in my view the sooner that's commenced the better.
"A Neighbourhood Plan is I think a golden opportunity for the people of Wilmslow to have their influence on the way the town's developed in the future and I think it would supplement the Local Plan, which for example will say nothing at all the town centre. I would prefer us to proceed now."
Cllr Philip Enstone commented "The costs are too expensive and they are uncontrolled costs."
He added "I think there are too many people that would have their own interests at heart to move forward, they will quite happily join it so they publish what they want to do. From my point of view I am opposed to a Neighbourhood Plan."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Wilmslow Town Council invites us to discuss whether we want a new Neighbourhood Plan for the centre, but has now put it on hold. A Neighbourhood Plan for Wilmslow is guestimated to cost up to £100,000 and could take several years of further consultations. Many people will be discouraged by this endlessly shifting and confusing consultation attrition.
We need an all year, 'quick win' landscape vision for the centre, for the long-term benefit of the town, not years of muddled and expensive consultations.
A Neighbourhood plan cannot contradict what the local authority has decided in its local plan and at the end of the day the whole expensive exercise could be wiped out by a ‘no’ vote requiring just a fraction over 50% of people who bother to vote. If agreed, this will waste more years and money on consultations, consultants and referendums.
We are told that Cheshire East is sitting on almost £890,000 of Section 106 planning gain money from developers that could be used to benefit Wilmslow alone, and the Town Council is wondering what to do.
For several years Cheshire East has claimed to the Wilmslow Trust and others that it had no money to implement low-cost, high impact landscaping proposals for Wilmslow town centre that would enhance the town for residents and visitors alike with just a fraction of this money.
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> Instead, they have presided over the growth of ugly metal posts and A-board pavement advertising around Wilmslow’s streetscape that is undermining the admirable Incredible Edible street planting initiative and the Town Council's floral displays this summer.
Flower displays only last a few months. Nor do we need the council to fritter away this one time financial windfall on grants for this and that don't deliver a 'big win' for the town.
The council needs to talk openly and publicly to local residents, businesses and Cheshire East as soon as possible about what can be done to focus some of this 106 money on making Wilmslow a more beautiful place to live and work in.
Wilmslow Cllr. Don Stockton tells us that Section 106 agreements are drawn up by councillors and developers and are legally ring-fenced for specific projects. So where are they and why are residents and local businesses not invited to discuss more widely and openly how the money might best be spent on the town?
A Neighbourhood Plan for Wilmslow is guestimated to cost up to £100,000 and could take several years of further consultations. Winsford in Cheshire decided its priorities, such as making the centre greener and more attractive, as have other towns in Cheshire West. Why don’t we draw on this experience instead of constantly reinventing the wheel and spending more years arriving at what are likely to be very similar conclusions?
Knutsford also had a lengthy consultation on plans for the centre that were launched by the then CEO of Cheshire East and local MP George Osbourne, but several years on little has happened.
The Wilmslow Trust presented low-cost, high-impact landscape enhancement plans to Cheshire East years ago but the council took no action. It is time the council revisited this.