You may remember that last year North Ward, (i.e. Wookey Hole and Easton and surrounding hamlets) was asked for our views on ‘Planning’.
The intention was that the views of all the villages in St Cuthbert’s Out would be incorporated into a Neighbourhood Plan, which would give all residents more say in what was, and what was not, allowed to be built in the community.
A Neighbourhood Plan was written incorporating all these views and sent to Stuart Todd, a Planning Consultant employed by the SCOPC Neighbourhood Plan group. Stuart has now given his opinion on the content and suggested some alterations so that the final Plan is compliant with the underlying Neighbourhood Plan legislation.
Mat Gilson, a member of St Cuthbert’s Out Parish Council, is co-ordinating the production of the plan, as Chair of the SCOPC Neighbourhood Plan group.
Mat has now been told by Andre Sestini, a planner at Mendip District Council, with responsibility for Neighbourhood Plans, that there has been a change of thinking about the way the St Cuthbert’s Out Plan should be written. Now, what is required, is a plan in 4 parts, with one part for each of the four wards comprising the Parish, rather than one Plan for all wards.
To have a change in process at this late stage of the project is of course very unsatisfactory.
There will be a meeting at the Wookey Hole Club on Thursday 28th January at 7.30pm. If you can help with this project I would be very grateful if you could come and have a short chat about what we do next. (It would be helpful to know who can be there).
It goes without saying that despite it being an unmitigated pain in the neck that this is taking so long, it is in all our best interests that we have a Neighbourhood Plan that reflects what those of us who live in this area want, and do not end up with no plan and thereby unsatisfactory development that suits no-one who actually lives here.
Regards
David Ball 01749 678910 wholeball@
Nicky Amos 01749 677394 nicfa@dircon.