A final version of the Broadwindsor Group (including Burstock and Seaborough) Neighbourhood Plan has been submitted to the district council for examination.
The plan has been drawn up by local people and agreed by the parish council, who feel confident that the plan reflects the hopes and views of the local community.
Neighbourhood plans were introduced in the Localism Act 2011 and aim to give residents more say in the future use of land and buildings in their area. For example, the plan can say where new homes, shops or offices might be built or where important green spaces might be protected.
If the neighbourhood plan is approved following examination and supported by a local referendum, it will be used to make decisions on planning applications.
The district council is required to consult on the plan proposals before the examination can take place.
People who live, work or run a business in the Broadwindsor neighbourhood area have until 6 February 2019, to raise any concerns they may have about the plan. These concerns will then be passed on to an independent examiner to consider.
Clrl Jacqui Sewell, West Dorset District Council’s ward member for Broadwindsor, said: “I’m proud to have been involved in the production of the Broadwindsor Group Neighbourhood Plan.
“We held the first public meeting in February 2015, with the steering committee being formed in May – now nearly four years later it’s being submitted for examination.
“My congratulations goes to all the other members of the committee, we have spent many hours researching, taking photographs, delivering and collecting questionnaires, in monthly meetings, at information gathering events and at roadshows. Many cups of coffee were consumed.”
Cllr Ian Gardner, West Dorset District Council’s portfolio holder for planning, said: “Neighbourhood plans are part of the blueprint for future development. It takes a tremendous amount of work in order to get to this stage and I would like to congratulate all involved.”
A hard copy of the plan will be made available at West Dorset District Council’s offices in South Walks House, Dorchester and at Beaminster Library. Broadwindsor Parish Council also has copies available, please contact hello@broadwindsorgroup.gov.uk
The plan can be viewed online at https://www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/broadwindsor-neighbourhood-plan and on the Broadwindsor Neighbourhood Plan website: http://broadwindsorgroup.gov.uk
Comments on the plan can be emailed to strategic@dorset.gov.uk.
Alternatively, they can be posted to the Planning (Community & Policy Development) Team at West Dorset District Council, South Walks House, South Walks Road, Dorchester, DT1 1UZ.
Anyone commenting on the plan should let the council know if they wish to be kept informed of the progress of the Broadwindsor Neighbourhood Plan.
