Agenda item

Councillor England, Member Champion for Neighbourhood Planning, again introduced the report, and paid personal tribute to all those involved in Neighbourhood Planning, acknowledging the significant level of work and commitment required to deliver a Plan to this stage.

Representatives from Osgodby Neighbourhood Planning Group were in attendance and prior to Members debating the matter the Chairman invited them to make a short address to Council and present their successful Neighbourhood Plan.

Councillor Chester, Vice-Chairman of Osgodby Parish Council made the following address: -

“Chairman,

Thank you for this opportunity to present the Osgodby Neighbourhood Development Plan for adoption by West Lindsey District Council.

The production of this plan stemmed directly from the Osgodby Parish Plan which was published in 2010. That plan first gave voice to the concerns and hopes of the community and has been, and continues to be, a valuable road map for the Parish Council to refer to in addressing such concerns as housing, employment, protection of the environment, and safeguarding and enhancing parish amenities. There was, however, frustration amongst residents that the Parish Plan was awarded little weight outside the parish. This Neighbourhood Plan was therefore commissioned to enhance and facilitate key aspirations which emerged from the Parish Plan, and to help ensure that local context would receive appropriate consideration in planning policy and decision making.

The Parish Council believed that it was essential that the project should be community-led rather than driven by the council, and the group was therefore always open for any resident to attend and take part and has always been under the chairmanship of a non-councillor. We are grateful to all the members of the public and councillors who gave their time and energy not just to help to produce this plan but also to engage in and maintain interest in the project throughout the consultation process.

From the outset the steering group benefitted greatly from the advice and support provided by WLDC officers: initially Luke Brown and latterly Nev Brown and Dan Evans, to all of whom we very grateful.  Progress was not as swift as had been initially hoped and it was recognised that the skill sets of the steering group members were not fully matched to the task in hand. Professional help was required and accordingly the services of consultants, Open Plan Ltd., were engaged; the production and quality of the finished plan is in a very large part due to their knowledge and expertise.

Employing consultants did not come cheaply, so we were very appreciative of funding received in grants from the Department of Communities and Local Government (Groundwork) and the Big Lottery Fund which together covered the entire cost of the project.  We would strongly recommend any other community looking to produce a neighbourhood plan to consider using professional assistance and to seek the commensurate grant funding.

We would also like to thank the independent examiner, Mr Andrew Ashcroft, for his insightful and constructive recommendations and for his complimentary comments. His examination of the plan enabled it to be finished to a standard in which we felt we could take pride.

Although the production of this plan has involved hard work and more than a few headaches, we count ourselves privileged to have been entrusted with delivering something which is held as so important by our community. We are deeply gratified that the process of giving substance to the wishes of the local community has had the whole-hearted support of not just that community but also our district council, to whom we commend this plan. We would like to conclude with the Vision of this plan which we believe encapsulates its quintessence and why it should be adopted:

In 20 years’ time, Osgodby will continue to be a green and pleasant parish of distinctively individual settlements in a rural environment. Additional housing will have provided a suitable range of houses to meet the needs and aspirations of the local community, at a scale and pace of change which residents can readily accommodate. New developments will respect the parish’s countryside character and avoid the coalescence of individual settlements. Its green open spaces and public rights of way will have been preserved or enhanced to increase usability and the enjoyment of residents. Local services and amenities, particularly the primary school, will have been maintained and developed to attract and retain a population with a wide range of age groups and occupations, to sustain a vibrant and dynamic community.”

Councillor Chester then formally presented the Plan to the Chairman.

Members across the Chamber, including Ward Members at District and County level paid tribute to the Group for their hard work and dedication.  All were in agreement the Plan would ensure development in the Parish would be appropriate, address community need and safeguard communities in the future

It was moved, seconded and duly

RESOLVED that the Osgodby Neighbourhood Plan be adopted and made.