News from the Pre-steering Group

September 2021

We’re pleased to report substantial progress in the two months since the Parish Council decided to go ahead with a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) and to appoint a Pre-steering Group to launch proceedings. A key step has been winning approval from the Borough Council to proceed with an NDP. This welcome news, in turn, has given a green light for the Pre-steering Group to assemble a full Steering Group based largely on replies to a recruiting leaflet sent out with the July issue of The Mallard. A gratifyingly healthy response resulted in a fourteen-strong Steering Group comprising Gary Alexander; Lynne Armitage; Tim Baldwin; Clare Carroll; Caroline Christmas; *Jon Cole; *Kim Frazer; Mike Jackson; *Peter James; Geoff Randall; Karen Wadham; Phil Ward; Maria West and Denys Winner (*Parish Council member). We are sure you will wish them well as they work towards producing an NDP that reflects the wishes of residents, helps protects Great Massingham’s many assets and generates policies that will guide future development over the next 15 years or so. A comprehensive set of ‘Terms of Reference’ is being negotiated and the Group’s first meeting under these terms is planned for early October.

Thanks to the strong response given to the recruiting leaflet, a similarly sized Support Group has also been assembled. This pool of helping hands includes Mark Bailey; Barry Bowen; Ken Clarke; Fiona Cutts; Gill Davies; Gill Gould; Yvonne James; Maxine Pratt; Bev Randall, *Dave Speake; Linda and Graham Swallow; Lindsey Tibble; Ali Ward and Carley Wilding. Their willingness to offer practical support as and when needed will undoubtedly help enormously as the Steering Group seeks to arrange meetings, surveys, publicity and digital communications etc.

These preparatory steps are designed to be as inclusive as possible and to harness local expertise and experience. This approach is essential since NDPs are governed by strict rules ensuring community engagement, transparency and compliance with national or Borough Council policies. This is local democracy at work, strengthened by strong national legislation to give the eventual NDP its force in law. Before being accepted, each NDP needs formal approval by referendum. This means that what goes into the plan and its final adoption is largely in the hands of residents. For further information or to be placed on our mailing list please e-mailgmndplan@yahoo.com, telephone 01485 520 056 or speak to any member of the newly established Steering Group.