Published: Thursday, 6th December 2018
Following an Independent Examination and public referendum Cannock Chase Council has adopted the Hednesford Neighbourhood Plan.
This is part of the development plan for the District and will be used to determine planning applications in the Hednesford Neighbourhood Area (same as the Hednesford Parish area).
A Neighbourhood Plan can only be adopted following several stages of public consultation, independent examination and a majority ‘yes’ vote in a referendum of the local electorate (for the relevant Neighbourhood Area).
Councillor Gordon Alcott, Portfolio Leader for Planning and Economic Development said “The Independent Examination report was received in June 2018 and the public referendum was held on the 11 October 2018. The referendum asked voters who live in Hednesford parish if they wanted Cannock Chase Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Hednesford to help it decide planning applications in the Neighbourhood Area. 79% of those who voted were in favour of the Neighbourhood Plan, this is good news for Hednesford.”
Cannock Chase Council resolved to adopt the Hednesford Neighbourhood Plan on the 28 November 2018. The Decision Statement sets out the reasons for the decision, namely that more than half of those voting in the referendum voted in favour of adopting the Hednesford Neighbourhood Plan and that the Hednesford Neighbourhood Plan meets the basic conditions and other relevant legal requirements (as set out in the Localism Act 2011 and supporting regulations).
Neighbourhood planning aims to help local communities play a direct role in planning for areas in which they live and work.
A Town or Parish Council is responsible for preparing a Neighbourhood Plan. The plan can show how the community wants to shape the development of the local area and when formally adopted it is used to determine planning applications in the relevant Neighbourhood Area. In this case, Hednesford Town Council has produced the Hednesford Neighbourhood Plan for the Hednesford Neighbourhood Area (Hednesford Parish).
The Hednesford Neighbourhood Plan and accompanying ‘decision statement ‘are available to view on the Cannock Chase Council website https://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/residents/planning/planning-policy/neighbourhood-planning or hard copies are available to view at the following locations during normal opening hours:
- Cannock Chase Council Civic Centre offices, Beecroft Road, Cannock, WS11 1BG
- Pye Green Community Centre, Bradbury Lane, Hednesford, Cannock, WS12 4EP
- Hednesford Library, Market Street, Hednesford, WS12 1AD