The Acle Neighbourhood Plan working group has now completed the production of the ‘Pre-Submission Consultation draft’ Acle Neighbourhood Plan and invites you to review and comment on the document. The formal consultation period commences on Friday 11th January 2014 and will finish on Friday 21st February 2014.
The vision for the Acle Neighbourhood Plan is to ensure that Acle continues as a flourishing village and gateway to the broads that maintains a strong sense of community whilst embracing a sustainable and prosperous future as a place where people choose to live, work and visit.
The draft Plan builds on a significant body of work undertaken throughout 2013 including community consultation events held in June and October and a significant programme of primary research. In addition to the overall vision above, the Plan contains policies that seek to address specific local issues and that can help to shape the way Acle grows in the future. A number of the policies relate directly to comments and concerns raised by local residents.
Hard copies of the draft Plan are available to view at the Library, Recreation Centre and Post Office in Acle and at Broadland District Council in Thorpe St Andrew. Completed paper response forms should be posted to Acle Parish Clerk at Beech Farm, 15 Marsh Road, Upton, Norwich, NR13 6BP. Electronic copies of the document can be viewed or downloaded from the Acle Parish Council website (www.aclepc.norfolkparishes.gov.uk) or Ingham Pinnock Associates website (www.inghampinnock.com/acle-neighbourhoodplan) and electronic response forms can be e-mailed to Pauline James (Parish Clerk, Paulinejames@aol.com)
Editors notes:
In March 2013 Acle Parish Council made an application to Broadland District Council and the Broads Authority to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan which was approved. The Parish Council subsequently set up the Neighbourhood Plan working group which includes a cross section of community organisations and stakeholders, such as the Acle Society, Acle Recreation Centre, Acle Academy, Acle Youth Club, Norfolk County Council, Broadland District Council and Broads Authority. With professional support, this group has led the production of the Acle Neighbourhood Plan.
Neighbourhood Planning is a new community-led planning initiative that has emerged from the Government’s Localism Bill. It gives local people new rights to help shape the development of the communities they live in. Neighbourhood Plans allow local communities to set out planning policies on the development and use of land in the ‘neighbourhood area’, in Acle’s case the neighbourhood area is the civil parish. Any policies included within the Neighbourhood Plan need to conform to strategic planning policies and guidance at the local, national and European level. They will also need to demonstrate support from the local community. Once adopted a Neighbourhood Plan becomes a statutory planning document which means that it is material consideration in determining any planning application within its boundaries.
Acle Parish Council chose to progress a Neighbourhood Plan following on from the work on the Village Economic Masterplan. The Village Economic Masterplan, which focussed on developing projects to help support and enhance the local economy, proposed a number of projects that would benefit from being included within a Neighbourhood Plan. By including these projects in a Neighbourhood Plan it will make them easier to deliver, as they have the support of a statutory planning document and a stronger chance of attracting funding.
Ends.
