THE STEERING Group of the East Colne and Villages Neighbourhood Plan has announced that its first Plan is now to be abandoned.
David Cockburn-Price, Chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan’s Steering Group and Treasurer of the Lidgett & Beyond Charity, explained: “The area designated made a lot of sense geographically and in most respects was a sensible one for setting policies, but when the Group started looking deeper into the policies for land development, in particular, some unanswerable questions and potential incompatibility issues began to arise. A lot of the work we have done over the last year has whetted the appetite of local people for having a more proactive say about how their area develops. In fact, Trawden Forest Parish Council has already resolved to progress a simpler and more focussed Neighbourhood Plan in their area.
“I’m very pleased to have inspired and energised people in this way. With the official public consultation and local planning authority review underway, I’d heard of a large number of letters and emails of support. The task now will be to keep that Localism momentum going and to keep working to protect and enhance what’s special about this area.”
