Cliffe & Cliffe Woods Neighbourhood Plan
Strood Rural councillors Gary Etheridge and John Williams recently spent a Saturday Morning at Cliffe Woods Community Centre, attending a workshop in relation to the Cliffe & Cliffe Woods Neighbourhood Plan.
A presentation was given by the Planning Policy Manager for Medway Council, identifying the local context of the Neighbourhood Plan in conjunction with the proposed new Medway Local Plan.
The workshop was run and chaired by Nigel Moore, who is the chairman of the Steering Group for the Neighbourhood Plan, with approximately 40-50 residents in attendance. The idea of the workshop was to identify the challenges faced, the priorities and criteria for community grants, and ideas to engage the wider community.
The overall aim is for the local community and residents to be able to make a more positive contribution to the Medway Local Plan and how it will affect their community, not only in terms of housing, but also infrastructure and economic development.
Cllr John Williams said:
This process allows new freedoms and flexibilities for local government, along with new rights and powers for communities and individuals.
This was supported by Cllr Gary Etheridge, who added,
By utilising the Localism Act, reforms are in place to make the planning system more democratic and more effective, and help ensure that decisions about development are taken locally.
Residents within Wainscott also have the same opportunity to develop their own plan, should they wish, by contacting their Parish Council. However, it is worth noting that this process is driven by the community as a whole, as at the end of the process, the community will have the opportunity to review and vote on the proposal.