Dorset Neighbourhood Plans - update

A few notable Neighbourhood Plan milestones achieved so far this month

• Piddle Valley Neighbourhood Plan's referendum took place yesterday (19 April) - the results have been declared with 75% in favour of the plan
• Gillingham's examination has now concluded, and the examiner's report has been published, signalling that this too can progress to referendum subject to some relatively modest amendments.
• Sturminster Newton's plan is now going through its pre-examination consultation
• The pre-examination consultation on the plan for Askerswell parish, created by their Neighbourhood Forum, ends on Monday.
• The plans for Fontmell Magna and Pimperne have also been submitted for their examination. 
• Hazelbury Bryan has published its pre-submission draft plan for consultation

A fantastic amount of effort by local volunteers representing their communities, so that local people can have more of a voice on the future of their area!

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...

One week left to comment on the Piddle Valley Neighbourhood Plan

The Piddle Valley Neighbourhood Plan is going through its final consultation with both local residents and the statutory consultees before it gets submitted to the District Council. 

The plan covers a number of issues that local residents thought were important – trying to balance the need for the area to have some growth, particularly affordable housing for local people, but not of a scale or type that will damage the beauty and attractiveness of the valley.  Another key issue affecting some local people has been flooding, so the plan tries to go one step further to make sure that development does not make the flooding situation worse.

The neighbourhood plan group has worked hard to listen to the opinions of local residents in pulling together the proposals in the plan, and has made a number of changes along the way, in terms of the sites that have been chosen that the way the new settlement boundaries have been drawn up.

They hope that the referendum will be given the go-ahead by next Spring.  For more information on the plan and process, visit their website.