WEST BERKSHIRE LOCAL PLAN REVIEW AND NEWBURY TOWN PLAN CONSULTATION

Dear all, This is an update regarding the West Berkshire Local Plan Review and also the Newbury Town Plan Consultation and they are asking for our views. Please take the time to let them know what you would like to see happening in the area - it is too late to change things once decisions have been made. Many thanks and best regards, Julie Wash Common Action Group Update: 23rd February 2018 West Berkshire Local Plan Review to 2036 and Newbury Town Plan Consultation There's another consultation from West Berkshire to review their Local Plan for the next planning period from 2026 to 2036. It runs until 5pm on Monday 26th March 2018. Although very dry looking, this is a crucial document looking forward, as it sets the scope for planning and housing levels after 2026 and the sustainability approach for the plan. This is important in regards to Sandleford, as the original strategy was to have 1000 houses in the current plan from 2016 to 2026 and the second batch of 1000 in the next phase 2026-2036. Now that this plan has slipped so dramatically, more houses are likely to be slated for the new plan. So it's important that we make our views known on how many houses we think there should be built in the future and where. Also remember the caustic comments of Councillor Law about how opponents of the current plan should have been involved since the beginning - well this is our chance to do exactly that for the new one. Here's the text of the email from the Council - it's possible some of you may have received it - and it gives links and details of who to respond to. We hope to send out another newsletter with some comments and opinions of theses new documents. Newbury Town Council Consultation Alongside this Newbury Town Council is also running a Town Plan Consultation at: https://forms.newbury.gov.uk/newbury-town-plan-consultation/ to assess needs in the town itself, rather than the wider local authority, so please find time to comment on this one too. Text of West Berkshire Council email: The purpose of this email is to formally[1] notify you that West Berkshire Council is reviewing its Local Plan to cover the period up to 2036. We have outlined our approach to the review in the West Berkshire Local Plan Review to 2036 Scoping Report. - http://info.westberks.gov.uk/localplanreview2036 This sets out that the purpose of the reviewed Local Plan will be to assess the future levels of need for new homes and employment land and other land uses up to 2036 and to provide an appropriate basis for housing, employment land and infrastructure provision over that period. At the same time, under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 we also have to prepare a Sustainability Appraisal[2] (SA) to accompany the Review. The SA process provides a means of translating sustainability objectives for the area into sustainable planning policies and should reflect global, national, regional and local sustainability problems and issues. It involves a series of stages by which the content of the emerging Local Plan Review is appraised against a series of sustainability objectives. The first stage of this is a SA Scoping Report which sets out the scope and overall level of detail of the SA. It also sets out our sustainability objectives. We would welcome your feedback on our proposals and so comments are invited on both documents. Your comments should be submitted during the six week consultation period, running from Monday 12th February to 5pm on Monday 26th March 2018. They can be made: Online: using the Council's Local Plan Consultation Portal: This is the easiest and most efficient way to make your representations. or by Representation Form: available electronically on the Council's website and through all libraries in the District and in hard copy at West Berkshire Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury, RG14 5LD between the hours of 8:30am and 5:00pm on Mondays to Thursdays and 8:30am and 4.30pm on Fridays. Completed representation forms can be returned: by email planningpolicy@westberks.gov.uk; or by post to the Planning Policy Team, Development and Planning, West Berkshire District Council, Market Street, Newbury. RG14 5LD All comments must be received by 5pm on Monday 26th March 2018. Please note that all comments will be made available to the public to view and therefore cannot be treated as confidential. If you have any queries relating to this consultation, please do not hesitate to contact the Planning Policy Team at planningpolicy@westberks.gov.uk or 01635 519111. Peter M Norman Spokesperson snts peter@saynotosandleford.org.uk Newsletter edited & published by Tony Hammond - SNtS committee member - tonyhammond@waitrose.com