New Local Plan Public Consultation - Advice & Guidance
On this page we aim to provide you with some general advice and guidance to help take part in the Local Plan public consultation.
Please keep checking back to this page as will will be adding more comments over time as we get to better understand the consultation.
At the end of the day it is your view that counts and we are simply proving some pointers. Please use your own words wherever possible. Please take time to study the council's materials and respond accordingly.
Use the button below to access the consultation.
Please keep checking back to this page as will will be adding more comments over time as we get to better understand the consultation.
At the end of the day it is your view that counts and we are simply proving some pointers. Please use your own words wherever possible. Please take time to study the council's materials and respond accordingly.
Use the button below to access the consultation.
Some General Considerations
We make no apologies for providing some 'motherhood'!
Having been involved in numerous public consultations on the Local Plan over the last 10 years we have a good idea of what works and what doesn't. What to say and what to avoid.
You may not agree with us and you can obviously say what you like. It is a personal choice.
1. We need a new Local Plan but it needs to be a good one. At all times please support the need for a new plan.
2. More housing is inevitable. We need housing for our future generations and a degree of in-migration for economic growth. But it needs to be a sustainable number. To say no to all development is not credible.
3. We hate this term but please do not be a NIMBY. Please do not say built there not here. Every part of the borough will need more housing over the next 20 years.
4. In a borough with so much Green Belt it is highly likely that there will be a future need to release some for development. We need to be pragmatic in this regard but do all we can to minimise any loss by pushing for the right housing target and ensure that brownfield is fully utilised first. Possibly some appropriately selected grey belt.
5. Keep out of the politics, both local and national. The Local Plan must be discussed and challenged on good planning arguments. Politics will only change at the ballot box. We have to accept where we are politically at this point in time.
6. Play the ball not the man. Attacking individuals, or political parties, by name or implication, has no basis in planning.
7. Use facts, not assumptions or rhetoric, wherever possible to back up your arguments.
8. If the consultation asks a closed question with a yes or no answer, be careful how you respond. You could inadvertently agree to something!
9. If the consultation asks you where you would like to see development (and it does!) please do not mention any specific places. We have no right to inflict housing on residents somewhere else in the borough. Either avoid the question or answer with something like 'not on the Green Belt' or 'on brownfield'.
10. Petitions don't work so please don't suggest one! The council can take a single petition, regardless of how many signatures, as a single submission. We need to make sure they recognise as many individual comments as possible. Likewise, copying and pasting 'boiler plate' created by us can be construed as a single submission. We appreciate that this means more work for you but considering how important the Local Plan is a bit of effort will be time well spent.
Having been involved in numerous public consultations on the Local Plan over the last 10 years we have a good idea of what works and what doesn't. What to say and what to avoid.
You may not agree with us and you can obviously say what you like. It is a personal choice.
1. We need a new Local Plan but it needs to be a good one. At all times please support the need for a new plan.
2. More housing is inevitable. We need housing for our future generations and a degree of in-migration for economic growth. But it needs to be a sustainable number. To say no to all development is not credible.
3. We hate this term but please do not be a NIMBY. Please do not say built there not here. Every part of the borough will need more housing over the next 20 years.
4. In a borough with so much Green Belt it is highly likely that there will be a future need to release some for development. We need to be pragmatic in this regard but do all we can to minimise any loss by pushing for the right housing target and ensure that brownfield is fully utilised first. Possibly some appropriately selected grey belt.
5. Keep out of the politics, both local and national. The Local Plan must be discussed and challenged on good planning arguments. Politics will only change at the ballot box. We have to accept where we are politically at this point in time.
6. Play the ball not the man. Attacking individuals, or political parties, by name or implication, has no basis in planning.
7. Use facts, not assumptions or rhetoric, wherever possible to back up your arguments.
8. If the consultation asks a closed question with a yes or no answer, be careful how you respond. You could inadvertently agree to something!
9. If the consultation asks you where you would like to see development (and it does!) please do not mention any specific places. We have no right to inflict housing on residents somewhere else in the borough. Either avoid the question or answer with something like 'not on the Green Belt' or 'on brownfield'.
10. Petitions don't work so please don't suggest one! The council can take a single petition, regardless of how many signatures, as a single submission. We need to make sure they recognise as many individual comments as possible. Likewise, copying and pasting 'boiler plate' created by us can be construed as a single submission. We appreciate that this means more work for you but considering how important the Local Plan is a bit of effort will be time well spent.
Consultation Format
We have gone through the consultation to understand the format as it can look quite daunting. From what we can see there are around 50 steps that can be completed but you do not have to do them all. There are many tick boxes or comments be be selected, but there are free form boxes where you can add you own thoughts.
Please click below to see the consultation format.
Please click below to see the consultation format.
