PLANNING | HELPSTON NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
HELPSTON NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN Almost there! Neighourhood Plan for Helpston ready for villagers' comment
Like some other villages in The Tribune area, Helpston has been producing a Neighbourhood Plan. Over the last three years a dedicated, small group of Helpston’s residents have been working to produce a document that will guide Helpston’s development for the next 15 years and more. We are grateful to everyone who responded to the various questionnaires, information stalls and meetings and have used this comprehensive feedback to create a Neighbourhood Plan.
Why should we have a Neighbourhood Plan? Neighbourhood Plans are set up to incorporate local views and needs in planning decisions that will be made about developments. Also, where a Neighbourhood Plan has been agreed, payments from money levied by the City Council, in respect of developments, can be channelled directly for the benefit of the neighbourhood.
What is involved? Neighbourhood Plans have to conform with the City Council's Local Plan and must
demonstrate that local opinions are represented. To start with, a shared vision for Helpston's future development was created from community responses. The vision for Helpston is: Helpston will remain a distinctive and historic limestone village within an attractive rural landscape and will maintain the key local physical, environmental, and cultural attributes observed by poet and former resident John Clare. Helpston will retain its separation and distinction from other settlements and will provide services and facilities that will support an inclusive and vibrant community for the benefit of both the present and future population. There was general approval of this vision in the surveys, and the steering group worked on a set of policies aimed at managing development to achieve that aim. The plan is based on views of local villagers and other stakeholders. These have been gained from village-wide questionnaires, presentations
Helpston Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group
and meetings. The draft plan is also being scrutinised by City Council officials to ensure that it meets the requirements of the Neighbourhood Planning regulations and the City-wide
Local Plan. A Neighbourhood Plan is principally concerned with planning and development: during the course of canvassing views, a number of issues that are not addressed in a Neighbourhood Plan have been raised. These have been noted and will be passed on the Parish Council for consideration.
What's next? Consultation will continue until 12 August; we will then respond to your feedback and finalise the Neighbourhood Plan. The document then needs to be passed by Peterborough City Council who will undertake further statutory consultation and a final Plan will be produced. Residents will then be asked to vote on the adoption of the Plan in a Referendum to ensure that future developments are guided by the wishes of the people of the village.
We have produced a consultation document, which can be viewed here: www.helpstonparishcouncil.org/neighbourhood-plan The Neighbourhood Planning Group would welcome your comments on the draft. These can be sent to: helpstonplan@gmail.com
There will be a display of the proposed Neighbourhood Plan at the Dovecote in John Clare Cottage from 10th to 24th July on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Members of the group will be available to talk about the plan and take note of comments at the Dovecote on Saturdays the 10, 17 and 24 July. We also have a number of paper copies: please e-mail us or telephone 01733 252192 and ask to speak to the parish chair, Joe Dobson to borrow a copy. Copies also can be viewed at the Bluebell pub and at St Botolph's church. We will be writing to local organisations and businesses for their feedback. 70
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