Conservative Ribble Valley Councillors urge the public to attend public meetings set up for the public to express their views on the future land use and housing development in the Ribble Valley over the next 15 years.
The first public meetings will be held in Longridge will be held at the Station rooms on the 22nd September at 8-00 and a second meeting at Whalley on the 30th September, 7-00 at Whalley School.
Ribble Valley Borough Council are inviting the public's views on land use and development for business, employment, housing, green belt, historic and heritage sites. The consultation will take place between the 25th August and 20th October 2010 and cover the whole of the Ribble Valley. The results will form part of an overall plan for the Ribble Valley called the Local Government Framework which will provide the basis for planning until 2025.
Whalley Councillor, Joyce Holgate stressed ,'' Submission consultation forms can be obtained from local councillors or downloaded off the council web site. Do not assume merely because the Council has put forward 3 option proposals for consultation one will automatically be chosen, or that individual councillors agree with any of the first 3 options. It is possible that an option 4 will emerge as a consequence of the public's views and so it is essential to take part. Councillor Terry Hill and myself like all local councillors will be available to provide help and advice to local residents.''
A report called the Planning Core Strategy, provides the basis of the consultation indicates the need to create 1500 homes over the next 15 years,to build or convert dwellings at the rate of 161 homes per year, providing 805 new homes in the first 5 years (this will include sites already granted planning permission).
Longridge Councillor, Ken Hind, senior vice Chairman of the RV Conservative Association explained - ''This consultation is probably the most important undertaken in recent years . One of its major aspects is to get the public's view on the areas of the Ribble Valley which are going to meet future housing need taking account of all types of accommodation.
The Council are asking the public to choose from 4 options for housing development based on the proposal to build 1500 houses :-
Option 1 Ciltheroe - 675 dwellings - 45%
Whalley 450 dwellings- 30%
Longridge 75 dwellings - 5%
Villages 300 dwellings - 20%
In option 1 Clitheroe and Whalley carry the highest proportion of future development .
Option 2 Clitheroe 360 dwellings -24%
Longridge 450 dwellings -30%
Whalley 345 dwellings -23%
Villages 345 dwellings -23%
In option 2 the highest proportion of development is in Longridge.
Option 3 Clitheroe 330 dwellings 22%
Longridge 45 dwellings -3%
Whalley 225 dwellings 15%
Villages 900 dwellings -60%
For option 3 the major part of the development is in the rural villages.The sites where this development will take place are described as village growth areas which are not identified in the Core Strategy report defined within the report as ''areas of search in the village settlements that can accommodate a larger amount of development than that would take place in options 1 and 2 . ''
''At this stage village residents and Parish councils of the 40 Ribble Valley villages cannot be assisted as to where '' village growth areas'' are located for option 3 as they have not been identified.This is with the exception of large village sites which can be found in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) survey, carried out last year. This survey along with the Core Strategy Report can found on the Council web site and will form part of the decision making process which will result in a finalised plan for the Ribble Valley called the Local Government Framework to cover the next 15 years.
Option 4 - None of the first 3 and write your own.
'' Within the report are potential areas for housing development to meet each of the 3 options called ''areas of search''. They can be identified from annexe 3 to the report and the maps showing their whereabouts. However these search areas will not necessarily be developed but members of the public will have views about them which they may wish express in their responses. These need not be the only sites developed as in the recent Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA), other sites were identified all over the Ribble Valley .
'' The questions for the public to ask are; do we need to build 1500 homes over the next 15 years ?, do we need to build more or less ?. If homes are built in which area should they be located ? and what kind of homes do we need in the Ribble Valley ?
''Once one of the 4 options contained in the consultation have been considered and one chosen , the next stage of the Local Government Framework process will be to identify individual development sites which will then be subject to a further consultation and eventually form part of the final plan for the Ribble Valley .''
''It is essential to plan for the future and the final Local Government Framework will enable planners to regulate and control future land use . The guidelines it provides, will control builders and developers and regulate where they can build .It will protect the rural nature of the Ribble Valley.''
'' It is hoped this that everyone will play their part in providing for a sustainable future for the Ribble Valley as we can influence the future of our community .The Council awaits the public's views .
All Borough Councillors have copies of the report and will be available to listen advise and provide explanations. Copies of the Core Startegy Report . The Ribble Valley Council have produced an explanatory leaflet which is useful as far as it goes , a full understanding of the proposals can only be grasped by looking at annexe 3 of the main report. The Core Strategy Report and Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment can be viewed in full on the Ribble Valley Council's web site. www.ribblevalley.gov.uk .CDs containing the report are available. Once one of the 4 options contained in the consultation have been considered and one chosen , the next stage of the Local Government Framework process will be to identify individual sites which then subject to a further consultation forms part of the final plan.''