What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
A Neighbourhood Plan is a community-led framework for guiding the future development, regeneration and conservation of our parish. The aim is to give local people a greater say over issues, such as where any new houses should go, guidance on how they should be designed and how best to protect and enhance our local environment.
It is complementary to the National Planning Policy Framework and the countywide Cornwall Local Plan, aiming to give local people a say in developing policies which will reflect our parish. Once adopted, the plan will be legally binding and give us greater control over our village and its future.
If you wanted to explore the way the Neighbourhood Planning system operates you can view an easy to read guide to the 2011 Localism Act, which introduced Nighbourhood Planning; and if you follow this link you can view the Central Government guidance & key stages to developing a Neighbourhood Plan.
Where are we in September 2019?
After public consultation, the decision to produce a neighbourhood development plan was confirmed in 2015 at the Blisland Annual Parish Meeting. Cornwall Council were consulted and it was agreed that the designated area for the Neighbourhood Plan would be the existing parish boundary.
An initial survey was carried out in 2015 asking for views on areas identified as suitable for future development and the need for affordable housing. Unfortunately, this initiative stalled for various reasons, but it resumed in April 2019 with the formation of the Blisland Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, which will oversee the delivery of the plan.
A Parish Survey was hand delivered to every Household within the Parish during the week commencing 15th July 2019; the Steering Group made arrangements to collect these over the second half of July and we were delighted to find that, out of the 309 Households in the Parish that we delivered the Survey to, 195 returned/completed it, a return rate of some 63%. Within differing Parishes within Cornwall this is a high %age figure and the Parish Council are grateful to everyone who completed it.
The Steering Group will use the results of the Survey to inform and evolve the various Policies that the Community showed they wanted to be included in the Plan. If you follow this link
you will be able to see the actual Survey return figures. The links to the individual comments that the Community made in the Survey are on the NDP Document Page.
Over the coming months, there will be email updates, meetings and opportunities for you to further voice your opinion. The Parish Council discusses the progress towards delivering the Plan at its regular monthly Meeting in the Village Hall on the second Thursday of each month and Parishoners are always welcome to attend & to speak to the Meeting.
How to get involved
Sign up for our email bulletins or ask any questions you might have by contacting news@blislandparishcouncil.co.uk
Follow these two links to see all of the Documents related to the Plan
Neighbourhood Development Plan Documents
Neighbourhood Development Plan Communications
Page last Updated 16th September 2019
