A Message to all Villagers-your voice really can, does and will matter, so, if at all possible, please come along to an important Parish Council public meeting to be held in the Village Hall this Thursday, November 27th at 7.30 pm. Your presence, together with your thoughts and ideas, will help define your life in our village for years to come.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss whether the village should embark on the production of Neighbourhood Plan, which would become a statutory document and one that developers and planners would have to respect. A Neighbourhood Plan enables local residents to express their needs and priorities for their community. You may well be concerned about over-development in Bishop Monkton. You may be keen to see an improvement in infrastructure, facilities, green spaces, amenities and services or feel that residents should take more control of future development. You may want to see the local quality of life enhanced though sustainable development. This meeting is your opportunity to say if YOU want the Parish Council to put a Neighbourhood Plan in place.

Appealing to villagers to attend the meeting, Chair of the Parish Council, Councillor Dean Culshaw urges residents to take the time to come along and make their voice heard. Dean says, “Villagers are rightly concerned about the scale and nature of development in Bishop Monkton, as are the Parish Council. The Neighbourhood Plan would allow us, as a community, to influence and control the development framework and make our voice heard in planning decisions. I cannot stress enough how much each and everyone of us need to take part in the preparation and approval of this plan. We all need to get involved. A well supported meeting is one of the best ways to get our views across and show our commitment”.

The Plan will be developed by a dedicated group that will comprise local residents, the Parish Council and a specialist planning consultant, who will jointly undertake extensive engagement and consultation through surveys and public meetings, thus ensuring the community’s views affect how the area evolves.

The document will have two main impacts. Firstly, it will help shape the nature of future development in the village and, secondly, it will deter developers looking for a quick, simple and easy target for unsympathetic development. The Neighbourhood Plan cannot stop government mandated development, but what it says will be considered. Once drawn up and independently examined, the Plan will be be subject to a local referendum, where, if the majority of votes cast are in favour, it will be approved and consequently will help determine a shared vision for the neighbourhood's future, typically for the next five to 20 years.

Councillor Phil Goodier, lead of the Neighbourhood Planning Working Group of the Parish Council, says “As a councillor and fellow resident, I believe the Neighbourhood Plan is one of the most important steps we can take to protect the character of Bishop Monkton while planning for its future. This is our opportunity to influence how and where development happens, and to ensure our infrastructure and services meet the needs of our growing community”.

For more information visit the Parish Council's own website. Please click here.