COLNE Town Council has registered its intention to prepare a Colne Neighbourhood Plan. There will be a four week public consultation and Local Planning Authority review for the Area Designation.
The Colne Neighbourhood Plan is in line with the Government’s approach to planning, which aims to give local people a more proactive say about how their area develops. The proposed Neighbourhood Plan area for Colne includes the town centre, residential districts and a large swathe of the surrounding countryside.
Cllr Sarah Cockburn-Price, Chairman of the Town Council, explained: “Councillors are strongly motivated to prepare a sustainable and deliverable Plan that protects and enhances Colne for the years to come. We want to be able to welcome investment and growth, while ensuring that our heritage and precious countryside that together make Colne deserve its “Bonnie Colne-on-the-Hill” moniker are fully recognised and protected for the next generation of Colners.”
The Plan’s steering group has identified several likely key areas of focus for the Plan, many of which flow down from and support Pendle’s Core Strategy. These include:
- Sustainable housing developments in appropriate locations, mindful of the settlement hierarchy, but sensitively designed and built, with enhanced infrastructure and the ability to be offered for sale at affordable prices for local people
- Preserving and enhancing our Conservation Areas, our heritage assets, landscapes and rural/semi-rural character
- Promoting our local and rural economies and community resources
- Promoting recreation, leisure and wellbeing initiatives to be attractive to residents and visitors
There will be regular communications issued and consultation events held over the next couple of years to update on progress made, future plans and activities and, most importantly, how local residents can get involved. There will also be a dedicated section on the Colne Town Council web site: www.new.colnetowncouncil.org.uk. The Neighbourhood Plan has become a standing item on the Town Council’s monthly Summons. Each ward within Colne is represented by a councillor on the separate Neighbourhood Plan Working Group: Vivary – Cllr J. Cooney, Horsfield – Cllr N. Butterworth, Waterside – Cllr G. Roach and Lidgett – Cllr. S. Cockburn-Price.
