Draft Local Plan

DRAFT LOCAL PLAN published

Cheshire West and Chester Council has produced a draft Local Plan that will be the subject of an intense period of public consultation before the final document is adopted as Council policy. This vital document will provide the framework for the future growth and development of the area and will provide an essential guide for the growth of housing, employment and transport. Its importance cannot be understated.

The Parish Council has been aware for some time that the thinking of CW&C was to concentrate rural development into a number of existing settlements where existing services were currently available and new capacity could be provided more economically.
The draft Local Plan confirms that Tarvin is to be one such 'service' centre ' and in principle the Parish Council welcomes this. The Plan envisaged another 200 houses in the village between 2010 and 2030 though the existing Taylor Wimpey and Seddon developments already provide about 75% of that total.
The Parish Council is concerned however that there are sufficient services to, in effect' service the service centre'.
The comments to CW&C are likely to focus on the following issues:-

• Though the issue of parking is identified in the plan, the Parish Council is concerned that there is no commitment to provide a public car park from public funds, something the Council feels is absolutely essential to support any further residential growth.
• While the capacity of the Tarvin Sewage works may well be able to cope with any increased development in Tarvin (and Kelsall, whose raw sewage flows to the works through Oscroft) the Parish Council is concerned about the capacity of the pipework system that collects and delivers the waste to the Sewage plant. This system is felt to be at or near capacity.
• The provision of health care is identified as being underfunded and in need of further investment. The Parish Council wishes to get a greater commitment from the relevant authorities as to the requirements necessary to provide an integrated service suitable to the needs of a growing and also aging population.
• The Parish Council is concerned that the provision of extra recreational facilities in the future is identified as coming from developer contributions. The Council feels strongly that the provision of a new recreational area should be provided out of public funds and not be restricted to small play areas in housing estates, however welcome these might be.

The Parish Council is likely to make these comments, together with some minor additions/amendments to the list of services and facilities, to CW&C as part of the consultation process. It will also take time to look at the whole plan in some detail to become conversant with some of the wider issues that will affect the lives of Tarvin residents in the future.
The Parish Council also urges everyone to go on the CW&C websiteand make their own comments. There will be an eight week consultation from Friday, 6 September until Friday, 1 November 2013. The website also gives details of a number of open public meetings about the plan.