Masham Parish Council
Vice Chairman: Neil Pickard
Masham Community Office
Little Market Place
Masham
Ripon
North Yorkshire
HG4 4DY
14 June 2018
Dear Sirs,
Masham Neighbourhood Plan
It is the intention of Masham Parish Council to create a formal Neighbourhood Plan and our statement in support of this is enclosed. I have also attached a map identifying the proposed neighbourhood area and this is the entire area governed by Masham Parish Council which includes the wards of Masham, Burton -on- Yore, Ellington High & Low, and Swinton with Warthermarske. At the current time I have been nominated to lead the application on behalf of the Parish Council.
Please confirm acceptance of our application to produce a Neighbourhood Plan.
Yours faithfully,
Neil Pickard
Vice Chairman Masham Parish Council
Telephone: 07774 684267
E Mail: [email protected]
Statement in Support of a Neighbourhood Plan for Masham, North Yorkshire
The Parish Council is suitable as a qualifying body for producing a Neighbourhood Plan, and as such it is considered that Masham Parish Council is the appropriate body to create this plan. The Parish Council fully understands that it needs to consult widely and obtain input from a wide range of individuals, businesses and groups in order to create a successful plan.
An initial meeting was held at Masham Town Hall on Monday 23rd April 2018 to help the Parish Council understand the drive and desire to proceed with the preparation of a Neighbourhood Plan. Attendees included representatives from local businesses that in total employ over 300 people, major local land owners, Masham Primary School, Acorns pre-school nursery, St Mary’s Church Masham, Masham Sports Association, Masham Community Office, four Masham Parish Councillors and a representative from Fearby & Healey Parish Council. Local issues that were raised by those present included the need for improved employment, housing, educational facilities, health and recreation, transport and parking, utilities, public services and conservation and green spaces. At the conclusion of the meeting all those present fully supported the concept of a Neighbourhood Plan being developed.
Once this application has been recognised a working party or steering group will be formed, in line with the parish council’s constitution, to gather the evidence base that will be required and in addition specialist planning input and technical expertise will be sought.
The neighbouring parishes of Fearby & Healey and Grewelthorpe have been consulted but the decision has been taken to prepare a plan to cover only the Masham Parish Council Area which includes the 4 wards of Masham, Burton on Yore, High & Low Ellington and Swinton with Warthermarske. It was decided that the interests of the communities outside the parish council area are primarily related to Masham’s role as a service centre and that these would be best addressed through close working with these parish councils and further consultation. Why the area is appropriate to be designated as a neighbourhood area:
The area being designated is the whole Masham Parish Council Area which includes the 4 wards of Masham, Burton on Yore, High & Low Ellington and Swinton with Warthermarske.
Masham is currently a vibrant market town that provides basic services and facilities for the rest of the parish council area and a wider rural hinterland beyond the parish council’s boundary. It currently enjoys high levels of employment helped by the two nationally recognised breweries, Theakston’s and Black Sheep, two regional animal feed manufacturers, I’anson’s and Jameson’s, and a number of smaller retail businesses. The Masham Parish Council Area is also an important tourist destination that includes Swinton Park Hotel & Spa, four well known hotels/public houses, restaurants and cafés together with a number of guest houses and holiday accommodation. The surrounding rural area includes the hamlets of Swinton, Warthermarske, High & Low Ellington and Low Burton and they together with the farmsteads form an important part of our community that help to provide the rich scenery and biodiversity that make the local area so attractive. In fact, part of the Swinton Estate lies within the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) and within this area the policies will need to accord with the national policies regarding AONB’s.
Moving forward as a community we accept the need for change and that the forecast population growth will require additional housing provision. Our Neighbourhood Plan will help to bring the growth required by the Harrogate Local Plan but with greater local input we aim to ensure that we can maintain the existing character and heritage that we currently enjoy. As the parish grows this will place increasing pressure on the local infra-structure including Masham Primary School and pre- school learning, health provision, facilities for the elderly, the sewage system and the highways network. The plan will enable the community to more easily engage with other bodies such as North Yorkshire County Council and Yorkshire Water to name but two.
As more people will live in the parish it is important that employment opportunities continue to be made available locally and therefore the provision of additional suitable business premises and local support for our existing major employers and micro-businesses is essential. The creation of a local Neighbourhood Plan can help to ensure this. Agriculture continues to evolve and post Brexit the current trend towards larger farms could well be accelerated which may result in sympathetic housing development of redundant steadings in order to maintain the traditional stone buildings rather than let them fall into ruins. Local input to help achieve this should be welcomed.
Local residents are already voicing their concerns about the recent increase in road traffic and the lack of suitable car parking spaces in the town. The Neighbourhood Plan will help to address these issues and through community engagement a balance needs to be struck between a healthy tourist trade that helps to support local retail businesses and the needs of the local residents and major employers.
Masham Parish Council recognises that the Masham Neighbourhood Plan will not stand alone but will add local substance to the strategic policies of the Harrogate District Local Plan for the benefit of the whole community. Once in place, the Neighbourhood Plan will be used by Harrogate Borough Council alongside relevant policies in the Local Plan to determine planning applications in the neighbourhood area.
14th June 2018