The issue of planning is never far from the front pages of our newspapers. There will always be pressure for new building and at the same time people who would prefer to see it not take place. But there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. What is right for us here in Rugby will be different to what is right for a rural community in Cumbria, or a coastal town in the South West.
Within the Government’s Localism agenda, the idea of ‘Neighbourhood Planning’ has emerged and is now part of the planning system. It is a simple concept: in one area, a group of local residents can come together to create a plan that will determine the nature of development that will happen in their area.
In the new scheme the Government has introduced ‘Neighbourhood Frontrunners’ to act as pioneers for the projects. I am delighted that Coton Park Residents Association here in Rugby has been successful in becoming one of these ‘planning champions’. Last Thursday, I attended an update meeting to discuss their proposals and I pay tribute to Jill Simpson-Vince who is leading their efforts. The meeting was also attended by Bob Keith from the organisation ‘Planning Aid’ who are playing a pivotal role in giving technical guidance and assistance, helping people get to grips with the new system and the role they can play in it.
We now have a plan led system that, when proposals come forward, is led by local people: not a planning inspectorate based in Bristol, or an out-of-touch Civil Servant in Whitehall. This is a distinct, and indeed welcome, contrast from days of the last Government, where ‘top down’ directions were being thrust upon local people from London in the form of Regional Spatial Strategies.
The group in Coton Park has already started working on preparing its neighbourhood plan with input from the entire community and I look forward to following their progress over the coming months . The positive attitude taken by Rugby Borough Council, a new local planning system from Government, help from organisations such as Planning Aid, enthusiastic local residents, taken together mean that we have the foundations for a positive, local approach to planning in our area.