COLNE Town Council and the Parish Councils of Trawden Forest and Laneshaw Bridge have registered their intention to jointly prepare an “East Colne & Villages” Neighbourhood Plan. The 13 week public consultation and local planning authority review for the Area Designation has just begun.
[rescue_button colorhex=”#a0182a” url=”https://www.new.colnetowncouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/East-Colne-Villages-NP-Area-Proposed-Boundary.pdf” title=”East Colne Villages NP Area Proposed Boundary” target=”blank” class=”left” border_radius=”3px”]East Colne Villages NP Area Proposed Boundary | PDF[/rescue_button]
The East Colne & Villages Neighbourhood Plan is in line with the Government’s new approach to planning, which aims to give local people a more proactive say about how their area develops. The proposed Neighbourhood Plan area for “East Colne & Villages” includes all of the parishes of Trawden and Laneshaw Bridge, the Boulsworth Ward within Colne’s boundaries and the eastern portion of the Horsfield Ward of Colne. The proposed Area has a population of approximately 7,000, roughly a third of the overall Colne & District area.
David Cockburn-Price, Chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan’s Steering Group, explained: “The local community, in particular Lidgett & Beyond, is strongly motivated to work with local Councils to prepare a sustainable, deliverable Plan which glues together East Colne with neighbouring Trawden and Laneshaw Bridge Councils. We want to capitalise on the natural empathy and homogeneity in terms of the resources, opportunities and the character of the places and the people in this rural/semi-rural area.”
The Plan’s steering group has identified several key areas of focus for the Plan, many of which flow down from and support the recently approved Pendle Core Strategy. These include:
- Preserving and enhancing heritage assets, landscapes and Conservation Areas
- Preserving the area’s rural/semi-rural character
- Sustainable housing developments of a sympathetic size
- Promoting local and rural economies
- Safeguarding, enhancing and promoting access to the rural environment, wildlife and nature
- Promoting recreation, leisure and wellbeing for both residents and visitors
The group has set up a website (www.eastcolne.org), Facebook pages (East Colne & Villages Neighbourhood Plan) and a Twitter feed (@ECVNP) and there will be regular communications issued over the next couple of years to update on progress made, future plans/activities and, most importantly, how local residents can get involved. The Neighbourhood Plan has been an agenda item on both Parish Councils and the Town Council for several months and will remain so. The next East Colne & Villages Neighbourhood Plan steering group meeting is on 12th April at 7 p.m. at Heyroyd, Skipton Old Road.
