Lydney Neighbourhood Development Plan Consultation Statement
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Lydney Neighbourhood Development Plan Consultation Statement This Consultation Statement has been prepared to fulfil the legal obligations of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, Section 15(1b) of Part 5. Section 15(2) of the Regulations sets out what a Consultation Statement should contain: (a) details of the persons and bodies who were consulted about the proposed neighbourhood development plan; (b) explanation of how they were consulted; (c) a summary of the main issues and concerns raised by the persons consulted; (d) a description of how these issues and concerns have been considered and, where relevant, addressed in the proposed neighbourhood development plan. Lydney NDP - Consultation Statement DP/Examiners Version 1 Contents The Start of the Lydney Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) 3 The Draft Lydney NDP 4 The Lydney NDP Public Consultation Period 5 Publicity of the Lydney Draft Plan 6 Public Consultation Feedback 7 APPENDIX 1. Lydney NDP Questionnaire 9 2. Public Meeting - 11th January 2012 Town Meeting 10 3. Copy of Local Groups Public Consultation Letter 20 4. Lydney NDP website Home page 21 5. List of Consultees sent NDP 22 6. Public Consultation Feedback 28 Lydney NDP - Consultation Statement DP/Examiners Version 2 The Start of the Lydney Neighbourhood Development Plan Lydney Town Council instigated the idea of developing the Lydney Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) in April 2012 and began discussing this with the Forest of Dean District Council, the Local Planning Authority (LPA), in May 2012. Local Group Representatives The Lydney NDP Community Steering Group was formed with members from the Town Council, representatives of local groups and interested individuals to progress the Lydney NDP. Representatives of local clubs were asked to join the NDP Community Steering Group in September 2012 and there was local group representatives from: Oakdale Links Lydney Area in Partnership Ned’s Top Action Group Lydney Ramblers The group formally adopted a constitution and agreed the outline/area to be designated as the NDP area, and on the 8th of November 2012 the Forest of Dean District Council acknowledged Lydney’s NDP Community Steering Group (the Steering Group) as a correctly constituted body. The NDP area was designated on the 17 January 2013. Lydney Questionnaire The Steering Group complied a questionnaire in July 2012 and distributed it in the latter half of 2012 seeking public feedback on a number of pertinent issues to the town (see Appendix One). The questionnaires were distributed to shops, community groups and individuals. The questionnaire was also included in the Lydney Town Council Summer newsletter which is inserted into The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Review newspaper and was distributed to 4,009 Lydney households and businesses. A total of 171 questionnaires were returned and correlated, with the results providing an indication to the Steering Group of the important issues for people. Public Meetings On the 11th of January 2013 the Steering Group held a public meeting to introduce NDPs, the changes to the planning system and the process of completing an NDP. The meeting, attended by Mark Harper, the local MP who introduced the NDP process, was well attended by members of the public. There was an extensive question and answer session at the meeting on the possible remit of the Lydney NDP and the extent of its power, as well as questions on more general issues which were contentious in the town. Details of this meeting can be seen in Appendix Two. Lydney NDP - Consultation Statement DP/Examiners Version 3 The Draft Lydney NDP Following the 11th January 2013 town meeting the NDP Steering Group grouped the main issues which were identified in the NDP questionnaires and raised in the town meeting into 8 headings: - Education - Transport - Health - Leisure and Sport - Town Centre Regeneration - Economic Growth - Environment - Harbour Considering the wide range of issues that had been raised by the Lydney residents and due to the lack of knowledge about the scope of NDPs, the Steering Group decided to draft a working document of the issues to aide further discussions with the community, on the premise it is easier and more focussed to discuss something rather than have a blank piece of paper. The Steering Group began working on the draft in February 2013 and with the help of Lydney Town Council employed a part- time admin assistant to help with the process in March 2013. Funding was sought from Locality and awarded, allowing the group to create a website and publicise the Draft NDP. The Steering Group identified people to act as leads in each of the 8 issues from within the group and to assemble a working group of interested people and experts to report back to the Steering Group. Over the next months feedback from the working groups and Steering Group developed the draft and in September 2013 the 'Draft Lydney Plan - Public Version' was produced (available on the Lydney NDP website www.lydneyndp.org.uk). The Lydney NDP website was launched on September 23rd 2013 and the Lydney NDP Facebook page was launched on 26th July 2013. Launch of the Lydney Draft Plan The Draft Plan was publicised as a hard printed copy and an on-line version, both of which include requests for readers to comment on the Draft Plan. The on-line version published via the website (www.lydneyndp.org.uk) encouraged on the website 'Home' page "Come to one of the Town Meetings (see events section), read the website and/or contact us with your thoughts" (see copy of the website Home page in Appendix Four) and each page of the website included a button where people could access the Draft Plan and a comments section where people could load up their feedback and comments along with their e-mail address (the e-mail address was a mandatory feature included to stop spam). If people did not wish to upload their comments or include their e-mail address, the 'Contact' page of the website included the phone number and postal address where comments could be sent. Lydney NDP - Consultation Statement DP/Examiners Version 4 The Lydney NDP Public Consultation Period The Steering Group published the Draft Lydney Plan for consultation in accordance with The Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulation 2011, Part 5, Regulation 14. Regulation 14a (iv) requires not less than 6 weeks consultation and Lydney’s lengthy public and statutory consultation period was held for 11 weeks from the 2nd of October 2013 until the 20th of December 2013 which enable more time for people to comment and to detailed consultations with particular groups on specific issues. Printed copies of the Draft Lydney Plan were distributed prior to the start of the public consultation period on the 2nd of October 2013. Consultation packs were assembled, which included: Lydney Draft Plan a covering letter asking for feedback the date by which comments needed to be returned, the website address where further information could be found the postal address and phone number were comments could be made 2 comments sheets where comments could be written a stamped addressed envelope for the return of the comments sheet(s) One hundred and forty one consultation packs were posted to: - 32 local groups and organisations - 14 local schools, nurseries, academy and children's centre - 5 nursing and care homes for the elderly - 4 health centres - 6 environmental groups - 2 village agents - 78 statutory consultees including the LPA, Forest of Dean District Council A further 71 printed Draft Plans with comments sheets for feedback and a stamped addressed envelope, cover letter and poster showing details of the town meeting dates were hand delivered to local businesses and retail units by Admin Assistants and members of the Steering Group. Where possible/appropriate, a conversation was struck up about the Lydney NDP while dropping off the Draft Plan and the importance of public feedback and details of the up-coming public consultation events. Multiple copies were also left at the local library, Town Council office, Town Hall and Naas Lane Community Centre. The cover letter sent out to the Lydney Community groups was extended to provide detail of NDPs and details of the up-coming public consultation events, along with a poster advertising the town meetings, a copy of which can be found in Appendix Three. Details those consulted are contained in Appendix Five. Lydney NDP - Consultation Statement DP/Examiners Version 5 Publicity of the Lydney Draft Plan As well as distribution of the printed copies of the Draft Lydney Plan, Lydney resident were contacted in a variety of ways during the consultation period, including: The NDP website and Facebook page were created and launched prior to the consultation period 10,000 copies of Newsletter No.1 were sent to Lydney residents and businesses at the start of the consultation period (see Appendix Four) Radio interview with Radio Gloucestershire at the beginning of the consultation period highlighted NDPs and advertised Lydney’s Plan and community public consultation meeting dates Newspaper adverts were placed in the two local papers for six weeks advertising the website, Facebook page and two town meetings dates Two public meetings were held at the start of the consultation period, on the 2nd and 8th of October 2013 10,000 copies of Newsletter No.2 were sent to Lydney residents and businesses in the middle of the consultation period Bi monthly Lydney Town Councillor surgeries were held outside of the town centre Co-op or Tesco stores at which further NDP questionnaires were issued, the Lydney Draft Plan was discussed and comments public were recorded. Members of the Steering Group attended the local church summer fete event manned a stand with NDP display boards Public Meetings Two public consultation meetings were held for Lydney residents and businesses at the start of the Public Consultation period to discuss the Draft Lydney Plan.