Report from Chairman of Steering Group
Just when we thought it was nearly all over… we learned last week that we have to carry out Reg 14 Formal Consultation, and not SNC.
We have worked hard, without exaggeration, to get the draft Plan to the point where we are happy to submit it. Having discovered what we did, we have been scurrying round to find out what’s required and to get everything ready for the start of the process, on March 6th. No mean feat! The consultation will last 8 weeks and it will be followed by amendments as required.
Basically, we have to consult with every person, body and organisation that might have an interest in the Plan. This includes all of those we contacted last October (for the Informal Draft Consultation) plus many others, such as:
- adjoining parish councils and parishes
- the Coal Authority
- Natural England
- The Environment Agency
- Historic England
- Network Rail
- Telecoms providers
- Utilities
- Health organisations
- Voluntary bodies
- Faith, disability and minority groups
- Other village groups
- Local businesses, landowners, etc.
We are going to be busy!
We have been preparing publicity material, acquiring templates for the consultation process and, through Alison, booking the Annexe for drop-in sessions and meetings. We need to do more printing, of course, but we should remain well inside our budget for consumables.
Michael has been extremely helpful. Unfortunately, liaising with SNC is not as easy as it was. They should be able to provide us with contact details for all of the organisations listed above – because every other PC that has undertaken a Plan will have gone through the same procedure. Fingers crossed!
We are confident that our Plan is exciting and challenging, that it will be robust – and that it will serve the community well when it is finally ‘made’. We hope that the Parish Council will be proud to own it and will use it accordingly.
Do I regret calling that initial meeting way back in April 2017? No, I don’t!
Roy Hawkesford
24th February 2020