Building on the extensive consultation which was undertaken last summer on the Council’s Emerging Core Strategy, a series of workshops to explore where development in the District should go were undertaken with young people, residents, elected councillors and stakeholders during the week 12-14th July 2010.
Resident and Stakeholder Workshops
The workshops' task was to consider a number of challenges to ensure the District grows and flourishes. Together, they discussed how we can accommodate new education, employment, housing and other uses, which we will need in the future while maintaining and improving our quality of life.
Taking our residents' views into account, we have now prepared a range of new growth options to accommodate the development we have committed to in the future. We also need to understand what additional development we should consider for the plan period post 2021.
The workshops as a whole were very successful; the views expressed have been taken on board and will be used to inform our next consultation on the Core Strategy, which will be launched in November, 2010. The maps produced for the presentation and workshop discussions were specifically produced within that particular context only, for illustration, and have therefore not been reproduced.
The workshops considered five scenarios for growth. These were:
1. Urban Consolidation
2. Growth of Smaller Settlements
3. New Settlement - Harperbury Eco Village
4. Urban Small Extensions
5. A Package of Options
More detail on the above can be found in the presentation.
The workshop views on these options are outlined below:
Sixth form students from three district schools, Sir John Lawes, Loreto College and Sir Francis Bacon.
This group's best scenario was Urban Small Extensions
Residents from all parts of the district who are members of the Community Panel.
Residents voted for their best scenario: A Package of Options
Officers from the District council, including housing, environmental services, leisure and transport.
Officers voted for their best scenario: Urban Consolidation
Stakeholders, including community groups; planning agents and developers
Stakeholders voted for their best scenario: Urban Small Extensions
Elected members who represent residents at all three tiers of local government
Councillors voted for their best scenario: New Settlement
The results of the stakeholder voting can be found here.
Public consultation
A public consultation on the draft Emerging Core Strategy will be launched in November 2010.