Gary's News and views
Gary writes a weekly article which appears in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here.
Tuesday 2 August 2016
PLYMOUTH PLAN
I hope you will take a few moments this summer to cast your eye over the Plymouth and South West Devon joint local plan, especially so far as it relates to your area. This is your chance to have your say. Go to www.plymouth.gov.uk/plymouthplan to peruse this. (For Ivybridge you go to: www.southams.gov.uk )
I congratulate the three local authorities on working on this plan together. It makes so much more sense to plan for the sub-region as a whole than separately. This plan will take us all the way to 2034, so will literally shape our landscape for the next two decades. It is therefore important to get it right. Your input can help that to happen.
The first thing you will notice about the plan is that it does not provide for the mass explosion of Plymouth into the rural countryside.
Yes, there are pockets of development now proposed to take place on the city borders – especially at Newnham and Woolwell (both of them long-discussed) - but as hoped, most of the urban fringe growth is contained within Sherford. Also, the extent of building on brownfield sites within the city is far greater than that outside of it.
You will also notice that for the first time the plan provides for many existing open pieces of land to be preserved as local green spaces, rather than developed on. This can give a community confidence that the bulldozers are not about to roll in and take away their amenity land. I greatly welcome this.
Ivybridge remains a place where more housing and mixed development is expected. To the east of that town, this has been in the offing for many years. The proposals to the west might take some by surprise. The extent of these growth plans add weight to the case for an eastern access onto the A38. What about the impact on local amenities? Make sure you have your say.
It is important that your local knowledge is brought to the fore as this joint local plan is slowly developed. Please respond to the local authority by e-mail or letter, not just focussing on the things you don't like, but also the things you do. They have made an impressive start, but it is important to support the council on its protection of green spaces, because the plan will be subject to scrutiny and challenge from developers. We have until 12th August to respond.
I hope you will take a few moments this summer to cast your eye over the Plymouth and South West Devon joint local plan, especially so far as it relates to your area. This is your chance to have your say. Go to www.plymouth.gov.uk/plymouthplan to peruse this. (For Ivybridge you go to: www.southams.gov.uk )
I congratulate the three local authorities on working on this plan together. It makes so much more sense to plan for the sub-region as a whole than separately. This plan will take us all the way to 2034, so will literally shape our landscape for the next two decades. It is therefore important to get it right. Your input can help that to happen.
The first thing you will notice about the plan is that it does not provide for the mass explosion of Plymouth into the rural countryside.
Yes, there are pockets of development now proposed to take place on the city borders – especially at Newnham and Woolwell (both of them long-discussed) - but as hoped, most of the urban fringe growth is contained within Sherford. Also, the extent of building on brownfield sites within the city is far greater than that outside of it.
You will also notice that for the first time the plan provides for many existing open pieces of land to be preserved as local green spaces, rather than developed on. This can give a community confidence that the bulldozers are not about to roll in and take away their amenity land. I greatly welcome this.
Ivybridge remains a place where more housing and mixed development is expected. To the east of that town, this has been in the offing for many years. The proposals to the west might take some by surprise. The extent of these growth plans add weight to the case for an eastern access onto the A38. What about the impact on local amenities? Make sure you have your say.
It is important that your local knowledge is brought to the fore as this joint local plan is slowly developed. Please respond to the local authority by e-mail or letter, not just focussing on the things you don't like, but also the things you do. They have made an impressive start, but it is important to support the council on its protection of green spaces, because the plan will be subject to scrutiny and challenge from developers. We have until 12th August to respond.
posted by Gary @ 10:42
<< Home