A Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group was set-up last year to produce a new version of the Calne / Calne Without Neighbourhood Plan. The plan has to be updated regularly to ensure that it is kept current and crucially to ensure that developers, and others submitting planning proposals, conform to the guidelines laid down by the community. A link to the current edition of the plan is below (please note that it is quite large and may take some time to load on slow internet links):
The steering group is made up of two representatives from each of Calne Town Council and Calne Without Parish Council plus an additional 10 community members, of which I am one, who volunteered to attend due to their interest in the local community. A representative from Wiltshire Council Planning Department is also a member of the steering group in an advisory capacity. The process is being led by community members, with the chair and vice chair being community members rather than council representatives.
As you will see from looking at the last version of the plan its scope is very broad covering housing, transport, employment, and the environment amongst other things. The new version will incorporate inputs from the emerging new Wiltshire Plan and new government planning guidelines. Several things have changed since the last plan was produced which must be accommodated, such as the need to provide infrastructure for electric vehicles, the need to accommodate 330 new houses in Calne / Calne Without, ensuring the local infrastructure adequately supports the approx. 1,300 houses which have been built, or have approval to be built, in Calne / Calne Without in recent years. These inputs probably will not be finalised until the end of this year, if not later, and so our new plan cannot be finalised until 2022 or 2023.
There will be a consultation phase when all local residents can have their say and shape the final draft. Once this has been produced a referendum will be held, as before, to approve it.
I will post regular updates on progress below.
If you want to have more information about the plan or have any questions please get in touch with me.
Doug
