Two more Neighbourhood Plans through

Milborne St Andrew and Broadwindsor Neighbourhood Plans went to the polls yesterday.  Summer holidays and drizzly weather and may have slightly dampened turnouts but still very respectable. 
Both plans passed with good majorities.

	electorate	turnout	YES	NO	In favour
Milborne St Andrew	894	34.7%	281	29	90.6%
Broadwindsor	1287	31.2%	301	100	75.1%

Planning-dominated Cabinet meeting

Today's June meeting of the Dorset Council Cabinet had a lot to talk about planning. Two Neighbourhood Plans are to go to referendum in August (Broadwindsor and Milborne St Andrew) and Bere Regis Neighbourhood Plan officially "made". The Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and Dorset Waste Plan is also to be adopted after both Councils agree.

But of broader interest is the Local Development Scheme and recommendation to halt work on the individual Local Plan Reviews (with the exception of the Purbeck Local Plan that is already at examination) to crack on with a new Dorset-wide plan.  Just over 2 years of evidence gathering and consultation, before the plan is examined and finally adopted.  The timetable includes:

• Options Consultation: September 2020
• Publication of draft plan: September 2021
• Examination: Summer 2022
• Adoption: Spring 2023

And as part of it, Cinderella (or the Dorset-wide Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Plan), which has been in preparation for longer than I care to remember, will finally get to go to the ball.

Getting the work-blog balance right...

Long time no blog!

People talk about a work-life balance, I am beginning to think there should also be a work-blog balance, and over the last year I have failed quite dramatically to get this right!

So, a new blog page for what seems to be coinciding with a very Spring-like day.  To get the ball rolling I thought I would do a very brief catch-up on some of the Neighbourhood Plan milestones being reached around Dorset in recent months - though I have cut down the list to those reaching the final stages, as it was getting far too long for a blog!!

• Broadstone - examiners report received with the thumbs-up to proceed to referendum
• Broadwindsor - options consultation carried out late last year and work has started on their draft plan, which should be out for its pre-submission consultation before the summer
• Buckland Newton - passed its referendum early November (60% in favour, 38% turnout) and officially 'made' at Full Council on 7 December. 
• Fontmell Magna - about to submit for their examination
• Gillingham - examination underway
• Hazelbury Bryan - pre-submission consultation hopefully starting late March
• Holwell - at its plan-drafting stage, which should be out for its pre-submission consultation before the summer
• Iwerne Minster - having had a lot of activity around its pre-submission consultation, they have recently touched base with their community to establish whether they are still on track
• Piddle Valley - referendum being scheduled for this April
• Pimperne - about to submit for their examination
• Sturminster Newton - plan submitted for its examination
• Wareham - at its plan-drafting stage, pre-submission consultation hopefully starting late April

And this list doesn't include the many others out there all making good progress. 

The continued planning activity around the county has brought into focus the importance of a Neighbourhood Plan when the lack of a 5 years housing land supply undermines the Local Plan policies - more on that 'perfect storm' in a future blog...