Sandbach Neighbourhood Development Plan is being prepared to give the local community a greater say in how the town develops. The first phase questionnaire has been completed and analysed and the responses have been used to produce this second phase questionnaire.
Now is your opportunity to have your say again…
All the questionnaires from the first phase have now been analysed by groups of hardworking community volunteers and 6 major themes have been identified:
- Community & Well-being
- Heritage & Character
- Housing
- Infrastructure
- Local Economy & Jobs
- Protection of the Countryside
Comments from the previous questionnaire have been used to produce this second phase questionnaire, which is targeted to the identified themes.
Here’s a reminder of what a Neighbourhood Development Plan is:
A Neighbourhood Development Plan is a plan drawn up by a community. It sets out a shared vision and policies to shape future growth and development of the local area. It will be used by the local planning authority to decide planning applications, alongside the borough-wide Local Plan and all submitted responses from the public.
The Neighbourhood Development Plan will be available to support objections to planning applications which do not conform to the Plan and its policies.
What has been done so far?
- June 2014: Sandbach Neighbourhood Development Plan Working Group is formed comprising of representatives from the community and members of Sandbach Town Council.
- July 2014: The NDP area was defined to be the Civil Parish of Sandbach. (The Civil parish of Sandbach includes the villages of Elworth, Ettiley Heath, Wheelock and Sandbach Heath)
- September 2014: Cheshire East Council agrees the Neighbourhood Development Plan Area.
- September 2014: Phase One Community Consultation commences.
- October/November 2014: Coding and analysis of Phase 1 Questionnaire responses undertaken by community volunteers and NDP working group via a series of workshops.
- November 2014: Business & Retail Workshop held.
- November/December 2014: Phase 2 Questionnaire content drafted by Community Volunteers and NDP working group.
The Vision
Over the next 20 years Sandbach will continue to be a distinctive rural parish, whilst evolving and expanding in a way that respects and reflects the views of the community. It will retain its distinctive character of a rural market town formed by villages intersected by open countryside. There will be a wide range of community facilities and businesses, that will both expand and prosper within an attractive environment. Current and future generations will enjoy a strong sense of community, a high quality of life, and a flourishing natural environment.
Objective of the Sandbach Neighbourhood Development Plan:
The responses to this questionnaire will lead to the formulation of policies, which will be aligned with the Cheshire East Council (CEC) Local Plan. If development or change of use of land is proposed within Sandbach, either by developers, private individuals or other organisations, our Neighbourhood Development Plan Policies will be referred to by CEC and the Government when planning decisions are made. Once adopted, the Neighbourhood Development Plan will become an ongoing process for controlling the use of land throughout the Sandbach Parish. These policies will be reviewed at least every 5 years to ensure they are achieving the Aims of the community, as intended.