Neighbourhood Planning

Neighbourhood Plan – an update

Thank you to all residents who attended the meetings on 18 February and 4 March and to anyone who has taken the time to look at the draft NP and to comment on it.

The designated consultation period ‘officially’ ran until 27 March. But there is still more time because, due to coronavirus and the need for self-isolation, SODC has asked that parishes in our position extend the consultation period until the end of the ‘lockdown’.  No timescale has been set, but, as the Steering Group cannot now convene to consider any representations, we’ll leave the door open for ‘late representations’ for the foreseeable future.  When the emergency is over, we’ll see where we are, as, quite frankly “the concerns of the NP don’t amount to a hill of beans” in the current situation.  I think everyone’s hero, Humphrey Bogart, would have said something like that, in the circumstances.

The Steering Group can individually review comments and representations as they come in, but, until we can meet, we won’t be moving the NP forward to its next stage – submitting it, amended where appropriate, to SODC.  When I said that we’d overcome all of the delaying tactics thrown in our path in the last year – new SODC policies, local elections, SODC arguments with the Housing Minister and a general election – I thought we were at last making progress, but now an even bigger obstacle is in everyone’s way, so we’ll just sit it out and social distance.

Stay safe.

Mark Thackeray
Chairman – Aston Rowant Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group
24 March 2020