Pioneering parish plans for the future

A HIGH Peak parish is in the vanguard of new arrangements to give communities more say over how their neighbourhoods develop.

Chapel-en-le-Frith Parish Council has been chosen by the Government as one of 20 groundbreakers for its national neighbourhood planning initiative.

And the Borough Council helped set the ball rolling by securing £20,000 from the Government and passing it on to the parish to help meet the cost of preparing a Neighbourhood Development Plan.

Now, the parish is to seek the borough’s approval of a proposed Neighbourhood Area - the first step towards preparation of a development plan. The proposed area follows the parish boundary and is accompanied by a supporting statement.

Residents can have their say by taking part in a six-week consultation that starts today (Thursday, June 28) and runs to 5pm on Thursday, August 9.

The parish council’s application can be viewed here and is also available in Chapel Town Hall between 9am and 12.30pm on weekday, as well in the borough council’s offices in Buxton Town Hall and Glossop Municipal Buildings.

Interested parties can comment on the proposal by e-mailing ldf@highpeak.gov.uk or writing to Planning Policy, Regeneration Service, High Peak Borough Council, Town Hall, Market Place, Buxton. SK17 6EL.

Godfrey Claff, the borough’s executive councillor for regeneration, explained: “Neighbourhood planning is part of the new planning system introduced by the Localism Act 2011. It enables members of a local community to take forward planning proposals for the neighbourhood in which they live.

“Once a neighbourhood plan has been written – and adopted by the borough council – it becomes part of High Peak’s Local Development Plan. That means it becomes a very important consideration when local planning decisions are made”, he stressed.