EREWASH BOROUGH LOCAL PLAN First Deposit Report of Publicity and Consultations March 2001 Peter Wigglesworth Dip TP, Dip CM, MSc (Dist), MRTPI, Principal Planning Officer (Local Plans and Special Projects), Planning and Building Control, Town Hall, Long Eaton, Derbyshire NG10 1HU Telephone: 0115 907 2202 Fax: 0115 946 8236 E-mail: [email protected] INDEX 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Publicity and Consultations Appendix 1 List of Consultees. Appendix 2 News Releases and Press Cuttings. Appendix 3 Community Forums. Appendix 4 Viewpoint Article and Questionnaire Graphs showing the responses to the Viewpoint Questions. Appendix 5 Letters to Consultees and Viewpoint Respondents. 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The adopted Erewash Borough Local Plan (1994) is in need of replacement as a revised Derby and Derbyshire Joint Structure Plan is nearing completion and the 1994 Erewash Borough Local Plan only has this year to run. Accordingly, a replacement Erewash Borough Local Plan has been prepared and placed on first deposit. 1.2 This report on public participation and consultation describes the steps taken by the Borough Council to inform and involve consultees and the public at large about the preparation of the plan in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Town and Country Planning (Development Plan) (England) Regulations 1999 which stipulate:- para.39 (1990 Act) (i) A local planning authority who propose to make, alter, repeal or replace a local plan shall proceed in accordance with this section. (ii) They shall take such steps as will in their opinion secure - (a) that adequate publicity is given to the proposals in the area to which the plan relates; (b) that persons who may be expected to wish to make representations about the proposals are made aware that they are entitled to do so; and (c) that such persons are given an adequate opportunity of making such representations. para. 21 (1999 Regulations) The local planning authority shall prepare a statement of any persons they have consulted when preparing a plan or proposals to which regulation 22 refers, and of any steps they have taken to publicise their plan or proposals and to provide persons with an opportunity of making representations in respect of that plan or those proposals. 2.0 PUBLICITY AND CONSULTATIONS 2.1 Plan preparation has been undertaken since 1998 and although it is a replacement local plan it contains many of the proposals included in the 1994 local plan as these have been found to work satisfactorily and did not require updating or refinement. Many new proposals have also been included in the new plan, taking account of changes to Planning Policy Guidance Notes, other government advice, the replacement Derby and Derbyshire Joint Structure Plan and other statements, studies and advice notes prepared by statutory and non-statutory bodies. 2.2 Throughout the period of plan preparation consultations have been held with statutory bodies and interested parties:- * Erewash Borough Council - Engineering Services Leisure Services Environmental Health Housing Chief Executives * Derbyshire County Council - Environmental Services Education Corporate Resources * Environment Agency * Severn Trent Water Authority * Highways Agency * Railtrack * Coal Authority * Government Office for the East Midlands * Various Planning Consultants and Landowners * English Sports Council * Farming and Rural Conservation Agency * Transco * Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 2.3 The first formal stage of plan preparation was the approval of the local plan timetable on 26 July 2000, together with the approval of procedures for preparing the plan. This was duly given publicity (see press release in appendix). 2.4 Prior to the plan being reported to Members of the Council, local plan seminars were held on 5 July and 15 July 2000, with the purpose of informing Members about the local plan process, issues, planning policy guidance notes, sustainable development, the Derby and Derbyshire Joint Structure Plan and broad principles which had to be addressed in drawing up the replacement local plan. No matters of detail as regards proposals or the proposals map were released at these seminars. 2.5 The first consideration by the Council of the replacement local plan was at the Policy Development and Review Scrutiny Panel held on 17 August 2000. This meeting was preceded by a presentation about the contents of the plan and the thinking behind it. All Members of the Council were invited to this presentation. 2.6 Following the meeting of the Policy Development and Review Scrutiny Panel, the replacement local plan was presented to the Council Executive on 20 September 2000 and finally it was presented to the Ordinary Council on 5 October 2000, where it was approved for the purposes of consultation and formal deposit and it was resolved that a period of consultation be undertaken prior to the plan being placed on deposit. 2.7 The first stage of this consultation process was the inclusion of a local plan supplement in the Borough Council’s community newspaper - “Viewpoint” which was published in November 2000. The supplement outlined the thinking behind the plan and the issues, but not the detail of the replacement plan as it would not be available to the public until the deposit period (March 2001). A questionnaire was included in the supplement and a freepost address for the return of the questionnaires. 2.8 Viewpoint (see copy in appendix) was delivered to nearly every household in the Borough (97%) and made available at all Council offices, public libraries, sports centres, doctors surgeries and other outlets frequented by the community. 2.9 No specific deadline was placed on returning the questionnaire and these have been returned throughout November, December and January. To date 493 questionnaires have been returned and the comments received will be considered alongside formal objections and representations of support made during the first deposit period. The questionnaires will therefore be considered as the plan progresses from first deposit to second deposit. A summary of the comments received is set out in the appendix. 2.10 The Borough Council has set up a series of community forums across the Borough, enabling local people to discuss issues with officers and be involved in the local government framework. 2.11 As part of the local plan consultation process, the local plan has been presented to every community forum. This took the form of an exhibition, an officer presentation, questions from the floor and an opportunity before and after the meeting to discuss the new plan with the planning officer. A questionnaire, as distributed in Viewpoint, was also made available. 2.12 Community forums were all well attended and were held on:- 6 November 2000 Draycott 9 November 2000 West Hallam 8 January 2001 Ilkeston 18 January 2001 Sawley 20 January 2001 Petersham 22 January 2001 Sandiacre 23 January 2001 Long Eaton 29 January 2001 Draycott 31 January 2001 Cotmanhay 1 February 2001 Kirk Hallam Details of attendances are shown in the appendix. Each community forum was also advertised in local newspapers (see appendix). 2.13 A third part of the local plan consultation process involved writing to every consultee on the local plan data-base to inform them that the plan was being prepared and would be placed on first deposit in March. Comments on matters of principle or planning issues that a consultee might wish to bring to the attention of the Borough Council were invited and a deadline of 8 January 2001 was given. Copies of these letters are attached in the appendix. The list of consultees is also attached in the appendix. 2.14 This report demonstrates that Erewash Borough Council has involved consultees in the local plan making process and due regard has been given to comments received. APPENDIX 1 List of Consultees Government Departments/Quangos ADAS C.P.R.E. (Derbyshire Branch) C.P.R.E. Commission for Racial Equality Countryside Agency Crown Estates Commission D.H.S.S. Department of Employment Department of National Heritage Derbyshire Constabulary Derbyshire Family Health Services Authority Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Services Derbyshire Rural Community Council East Midlands Development Agency East Midlands NFU East Midlands Regional Local Government Association East Midlands Tourist Board English Heritage English Nature English Partnerships Erewash Primary Care Trust Fire Services Department Forestry Commission Government Office for the East Midlands HM District Alkali & Clean Air Inspectorate Health and Safety Executive Mining Reports Office Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Ministry of Defence NHS Trust, Southern Derbyshire National Farmers Union (Derbyshire Branch) National Trust Property Services Agency Royal Commission of Historic Monuments Rural Development Commission Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings Southern Derbyshire Health Authority Sport England The Coal Authority The Council for British Archaeology Trent Regional Health Authority Interest Groups Ancient Monuments Society British Horse Society County Landowners Association Derby & Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust Derby Cycling Group Derbyshire Archaeological Society Derbyshire Footpaths Preservation Society Derbyshire Historic Building Trust Derbyshire Historic Gardens Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Derwent Valley Bridleway Association English Golf Union Erewash Access Group Erewash Canal Preservation Association Erewash Ramblers Erewash Riders Association