Neighbourhood Plan to go ahead

The Parish Council formally agreed to go ahead with a Neighbourhood Plan at their meeting on Monday evening (Feb 23rd). They agreed to call a Steering Group meeting as soon as possible.

The decision was taken after the recent public meeting on January 28th held at the Methodist Church. The public meeting had been attended by about 50 people and had heard about the process of producing a plan from both Cheshire Community Action, who advise councils, and representatives of Tattenhall, who were one of the first parishes in the country to have a Neighbourhood Plan approved. Nearly 40 people agreed that a Neighbourhood plan was a necessary step to take and 9 people indicated that they would be prepared to take an active part in the process. It is these people, together with the two Parish Councillors who have also agreed to take an active role, who will be called to the first Steering Group meeting.

The production and acceptance of a Neighbourhood Plan under the 2011 Localism Act, allows for communities to shape the future development of their areas. The process for Tarvin will be easier than that for Tattenhall as Cheshire West and Chester now have an approved Local Plan into which the Neighbourhood Plan must fit. Much experience has been gained as more and more parishes undertake the work, but the production of the plan has to fall within strict legal guidelines and can easily take between 18 months and two years to complete. The cost of the process comes from a central government grant not from the Parish Council budget.

The Parish Council is anxious to get as many people as possible involved in the process, especially younger residents. The Neighbourhood Plan will shape the future of the area that they and their children will call home.

To find out more about the process and to get involved, please call Mike Hassall on 01829 741075 or contact him on miketarvinparish@aol.com. You can also talk to any Parish Councillor.