(REWRITTEN)
A Neighbourhood Planning Officer from West Lindsey District Council has spelled out what this month’s referendum means for Waterhills.
Luke Brown was asked why the Neighbourhood Plan had been changed dramatically after an examiner’s report. About 50% of it has been scrapped.
He was also asked whether the referendum could be postponed if people felt the current Neighbourhood Plan was not suitable.
The answer was no.
But if the Neighbourhood Plan is rejected, West Lindsey “would work with Caistor Town Council on future proposals.”
The Citizen asked Mr Brown about Policy 21 in the plan, which said proposals for development at “Water Hills” would be resisted.
The examiner criticised Policy 21, saying its wording was “confusing and contradictory.”
He said communities could request Local Green Space status for some areas, but Policy 21 did not follow that procedure. He said protected areas would be at risk of development because of the uncertainty and recommended scrapping Policy 21.
The Citizen asked if the referendum could be postponed to allow the land between Canada Lane, Brigg Road, North Street and Hundon Walk to become Local Green Space. A planning application for 72 homes has been submitted on some of this area.
Mr Brown said the planning application would be judged on its own merits, but he confirmed the area would be regarded as suitable for development. This was because the Neighbourhood Plan asked for new development to be within 800m of the Market Place.
“The emerging Central Lincolnshire Plan does look to allocate land (for housing) within that area, which actually would comply with what is in the NDP (Neighbourhood Plan) as the sites are within the 800m buffer where the town would like any new development to be placed,” he said.
He added there was very strict criteria for Local Green Space.
The criteria is listed in paragraphs 76 and 77 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
It says Local Green Space should protect land from development, but the status could only be awarded:-
“● where the green space is in reasonably close proximity to the community it serves;
“● where the green area is … special to a local community and holds a particular local significance, for example because of its beauty, historic significance, recreational value (including as a playing field), tranquillity or richness of its wildlife; and
“● where the green area concerned is local in character and is not an extensive tract of land.”
The document does not specify what it means by “an extensive tract of land.”
The referendum is due to take place on Thursday, January 28. The plan needs the support of more than 50% of the total votes cast to be successful.
Our photograph: A view over Waterhills. Photograph by Stewart Wall