Shifnal Town Council submit their Neighbourhood Plan to Shropshire Council
News from our partners Shifnal Town Council
Councillor Robert Harrop, Mayor of Shifnal, hands over the Shifnal Neighbourhood Plan to Malcolm Pate, Leader of Shropshire Council.
Shifnal Town Council approved the Shifnal Neighbourhood Plan 2014-2026 for submission to Shropshire Council at their meeting on 17 December 2015.
Councillor Robert Harrop, the Mayor of Shifnal, subsequently handed over the Plan to Malcolm Pate, Leader of Shropshire Council, on behalf of Shifnal Town Council and all the residents of Shifnal parish.
Robert Harrop said:
“The Neighbourhood Plan has been led by consultation with the community, and is based on their vision and priorities. The proposals have been shared with the community as they have been developed, and the feedback had been constructive and positive.
“The Plan tells the story of Shifnal very well, and it is a Plan that the town can be proud of.”
He praised the four community members of the Steering Group for their hard work over the last 15 months arranging the consultation events, developing the Plan proposals, setting up the website, and many other jobs they had done in that time as part of the process.
Malcolm Pate, Leader of Shropshire Council, said:
“We welcome this local approach to planning and the progress being made in Shifnal, which complements our support for community-led plans.
“Shifnal’s Neighbourhood Plan will help to preserve its unique character, and allow an appropriate and well-managed level of growth to ensure its ongoing sustainability as a vibrant and attractive market town.”
Mal Price, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for planning, housing, regulatory services and environment, added:
“Neighbourhood planning enables local communities to choose where they want new homes, shops and offices to be built, and have their say on what those new buildings should look like.
“Shifnal’s Neighbourhood Plan enables its community to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood, and deliver the sustainable development they need through planning policies relating to the development and use of land.”
Shropshire Council must now publicise the Plan for a period of 6 weeks, arrange for an independent examination of the Plan to make sure it has met the basic requirements, and then arrange for a Referendum of the electorate in the parish of Shifnal, which is the designated area covered by the Plan. If more than 50% of those voting in the referendum vote ‘Yes’ in support of the Plan, then the local planning authority, Shropshire Council, will bring the Plan into force. Consequently, decisions whether or not to grant planning permission in the neighbourhood area will need to be made in accordance with the Shifnal Neighbourhood Development Plan.
The Neighbourhood Plan and associated documents can be seen on the Shifnal Neighbourhood Plan website: www.shifnalplan.co.uk.
Further information
Neighbourhood planning was introduced under the Localism Act 2011 to give people a more ‘hands on’ role in the planning of their neighbourhoods, and ensure they get the right types of development for their area.
