Packed Planning Meeting vote

A beautiful sunny evening did not prevent a large turnout of local residents for the Neighbourhood Planning meeting last night organised by Audlem Parish Council in the Public Hall.

A newsletter entitled 'Planning Audlem's Future – Have Your Say' had been circulated to households well in advance and, judging by the numbers who responded, residents clearly wanted to say what they wanted.

After an introduction by Parish Council chair Heather Jones, two presentations described 'Neighbourhood Plans' and 'Resident First Plans' which are fast-track alternatives to a Neighbourhood Plan.

John Heselwood of Cheshire Community Action explained how a neighbourhood plan gives communities power to shape the future development and growth of their local area, particularly where new homes, shops, offices and community facilities should be built and what they should look like.

He described how communities across the country and in Cheshire are working on such plans and gave examples of places where their neighbourhood plan has been completed. He told it very much as it is, pointing out that it involves a lot of work, indeed thousands of hours, and can take several years to complete involving both consultation and a referendum before it is 'made' or completed.

Parish councillor Geoff Seddon then described Cheshire East's 'Resident First Plans', which a number of villages and market towns have already opted for. Cheshire East announced these 'fast-track' alternatives in mid-June as a way in which Local Service Centres, to use the planning jargon, such as Audlem, can identify where future housing should take place in a rapid programme over a period of months but still based on community consultation.

After a question and answer session when a number of attendees argued for the 'fast-track' approach, it was established that a community can do both, a 'Resident First Plan' which can then be integrated into a 'Neighbourhood Plan'.

When a vote was taken at the end of the meeting there was, it appeared, unanimous support for doing both the fast-track 'resident first plan' and a neighbourhood plan.

That vote, and the views expressed last night, will now be discussed at this coming Monday's Parish Council meeting and a final decision taken on the way forward. That meeting starts at 7.30pm and is in the Methodist Church Hall.

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