Shipston's Emerging Neighbourhood Plan

Following months of research, analysis and community engagement, Shipston now has an emerging Neighbourhood Plan (NP). Within the next few weeks, the NP team intends to put together the draft plan drawing on the work completed to date and the feedback from members of the public and other stakeholders. It is now more important than ever to have your say on what will be a vital document in contributing to future planning policy for the town.

The open day held in December enabled many residents to understand and give feedback on the emerging plan. Further drop-in sessions for local clubs,  businesses, councillors and NP team members from nearby parishes held in January have provided additional opportunities to gain feedback and discuss policy options. 

With a feedback questionnaire due to arrive through letterboxes with the Midweek newspaper in February, some of the key information from the Open Day has been summarised in the first few pages of this month’s Shipston Forum. The proposals are still in draft and are subject to change. Please take this opportunity to read the information and have your say, either via the household questionnaire or by getting directly involved with the plan process by contacting the team via np@shipstononline.org or 01608 662180.

What’s it all about?

A Neighbourhood Plan is a community-led framework for guiding the future development, regeneration and conservation of an area.  Being part of the statutory Development Plan for its wider Local Authority area, it carries far more weight than  town plans and design statements and, once adopted, can be a powerful tool for shaping a neighbourhood’s future.

A Neighbourhood Plan is about the use and development of land, and may also deal with issues that are of relevance to the local community. Shipston’s NP team focuses on five important themes:  Housing, Environment, Infrastructure, Flood Risk and Economy, seeking to address such challenges as an ever-increasing population as yet unmatched by additional infrastructure provision, the decline in local employment opportunities, the threat of further flooding episodes and the impact of recent development on the townscape and rural landscape settings.

For more information about the objectives of the plan and the emerging proposals, read the special feature in the February Shipston Forum - http://www.shipstononline.org/shipston-forum.html