Neighbourhood Development Plan - February 2018

Posted on February 1, 2018

Hi from the Parish Council Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group.

Work on our Neighbourhood Plan has gone backwards over the past month. We will explain what has happened.

Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) issued their Draft Local Plan in July last year. We analysed the documents and the main issue from Eaton Bray's stand point was that the Green Belt would remain unaltered around Eaton Bray. We commented on this in our Article in September's Focus.  This Draft Local Plan was positive news as the majority of Eaton Bray residents wanted to maintain the Green Belt on its current boundaries.

On 11^th January 2018 CBC published the next iteration of the Local Plan but unfortunately there was a surprise, CBC had allocated land behind Eaton Park for development! 49 houses in the Green Belt. Residents throughout Eaton Bray are dismayed, we wrote to the Head of Planning at CBC and to our Local MP Andrew Selous, but we appear to have little or no influence. Pressing on, we will comment upon the Local Plan, we have made our objections known, and will attend the Planning Committee meeting that can pass or refuse the Planning Application at Eaton Park. The NP Steering Group is supporting the wishes of the residents of Eaton Bray and we should know the result over the next month or so.

Meanwhile drafting our NP continues, the majority of the Draft NP is written but we need to add some historical details and make minor improvements.

As always we will do our best to keep everybody informed through the Parish Web site and in Focus.

Keep your eyes on the Parish Council web site and Facebook page for more information. If you feel you can offer any support please come along to our meetings. However support doesn't need to be attending monthly meetings, perhaps you have the time to help with data collection/research. Contact the Parish Clerk at www.ebpc.co.uk

Please feel free to attend the next Steering Group meeting which are planned for the last Monday of the month, 19:30hrs at The Coffee Tavern, Eaton Bray.

Please contact us on [email protected] if you would like to come along.