Marple Website Community Calendar
Archive => Archived Boards => Local Issues => Topic started by: admin on February 07, 2016, 10:56:28 AM
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From a document published and distributed to local groups by Marple Civic Society: www.marplecivicsociety.org.uk (http://www.marplecivicsociety.org.uk)
A Plan for Marple - Summary
Without a plan for the future, Marple will be a picture of uncoordinated development and gradual decline. A shocking thought – but the stark fact is that there is no official plan for how Marple should develop in the future. Everything is up for grabs.
The people of Marple can change this by creating a Neighbourhood Forum. This will be a minimum of 21 local people from all areas of the community, who will work on behalf of the community to develop a Neighbourhood Plan for Marple. Once accepted, the Plan will become an official planning document that Stockport Council must take into account (when making) planning decisions for Marple.
A Neighbourhood Forum would give the people of Marple a stake in their future. But this requires people to come forward and become members of the Neighbourhood Forum. To help this process and enable people and local groups to join a Forum, the Civic Society is organising an Action and Information Week from the 14th March to the 19th March. This will include:
- A week long exhibition at the Public Library
- Visits from surrounding towns that are working on their own Neighbourhood Plans,
- A presentation to Area Committee on the 16th March
- A Stakeholder Meeting on the 17th of March at 7pm in the Library.
- A Question and Answer Presentation on Saturday 19th March at the Library (between 10am to 2.00pm*)
*Check the Civic Society website for updates and detail of timings
The Civic Society also has an Outreach Programme. Specifically, the Civic Society is offering to come one of your meetings and explain to your members about how you can contribute to a Neighbourhood Forum.
This is important, because if sufficient people do not come forward to create of a Neighbourhood Forum, then there will be no Neighbourhood Plan. In this case the people of Marple will have little or no control over the future development of the town.
A Neighbourhood Plan for Marple
Background
In 2012, parliament introduced laws that allowed towns, villages and communities to take some control over planning and development in their area. Previously this had been exclusively in the hands of County Councils and the Metropolitan Boroughs. Local people had little say in what happened to their community – the high street, the parks and other facilities. Recently, new simplified planning regulations have been introduced. Under these rules, local views carry even less weight than before.
To balance this, the Localism Act allowed communities, like Marple, to form groups to represent all aspects of the community and gave them the right to develop their own plan for what should happen in their area. The groups are called Neighbourhood Forums and once it is agreed, the Neighbourhood Plan which they produce becomes part of the planning regulations that the County, Metropolitan and Local Councils follow.
The Civic Society wants to encourage and help facilitate a Neighbourhood Plan for Marple. Why? Well, because without a Neighbourhood Plan, Marple is vulnerable to unwanted change and development imposed from above. Westminster has devolved power to Greater Manchester to develop ambitious growth plans for housing, shops, businesses, roads and infrastructure. These growth plans will inevitably change outlying towns like Marple.
Stockport MBC, has no local plan document to guide planning decisions or to steer development that allows Marple to influence Marple’s future. The only way that Marple can voice its view, and be listened to, is through a Neighbourhood Forum and the Neighbourhood Plan that it produces.
Surrounding towns – like Woodford - have been deeply changed by recent developments in which they had no voice whatsoever. Woodford and other towns have recognised the urgency of the situation. They are taking control of their future by forming a Neighbourhood Forum. There is no doubt that Marple will grow, but if Marple wants to retain its identity then it too must form a Neighbourhood Forum.
What Can Marple do: An Action Plan
The Civic Society cannot itself create a Neighbourhood Forum, but it can help with the formation of a Neighbourhood Forum. In particular, through publicity and community stimulation, the Civic Society will try to create the conditions in which local people and groups can create a Forum for Marple.
To start this process the Civic Society is organising an Action and Information Week. From the 14th March to the 19th March the public and community stakeholders are encouraged to attend and participate.
The Action and Information Week will include:
- An exhibition at the Public Library over the entire week.
- Visits from surrounding towns that are working on their own Neighbourhood Plans,
- A presentation to Area Committee on the 16th March
- A Stakeholder Meeting on the 17th of March at 7pm in the Library.
- A Question and Answer Presentation on Saturday 19th March at the Library (between 10am to 2.00pm*)
*Check the Civic Society website for updates and detail of timings
Outreach to Community Groups
In addition to the Action and Information week, the Civic Society is reaching out to local groups. This why this leaflet has been sent to your organisation. The Civic Society would like your group to consider becoming a stakeholder in the formation of a Neighbourhood Forum. This will be a significant move for Marple, and to help you decide how your organisation can contribute, the Civic Society is offering to send a representative to talk to your members about Neighbourhood Plans and Forums.
What can you do?
If you would like more information, and the opportunity to discuss this further, then your organisation is invited to either accept the Civic Societies outreach offer and/or attend the Stakeholders Meeting that will take place on the 17th March at the Library. Full details of the complete Action and Information Programme will appear on the Civic Trust Website in the coming weeks.
The Civic Society strongly encourages your organisation to become part of this Forum and ensure that your member's voices are heard when the future of Marple is being shaped.
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This is a very important initiative, and I would urge residents to attend the information week at Marple library to find out more.
If we do not have a locally decided Neighbourhood Plan then we will have to accept whatever Stockport Council and the Devolved Greater Manchester region may decide for future developments in the area.
From a document published and distributed to local groups by Marple Civic Society: www.marplecivicsociety.org.uk
A Neighbourhood Forum would give the people of Marple a stake in their future. But this requires people to come forward and become members of the Neighbourhood Forum. To help this process and enable people and local groups to join a Forum, the Civic Society is organising an Action and Information Week from the 14th March to the 19th March. This will include:
- A week long exhibition at the Public Library
- A Question and Answer Presentation on Saturday 19th March at the Library (between 10am to 2.00pm - time to be confirmed)
- Visits from surrounding towns that are working on their own Neighbourhood Plans,
- A Stakeholder Meeting on the 17th of March.
- A presentation to Area Committee on the 16th March
As we are all aware, lots more housing is needed. This is an opportunity to help shape how and where this may be provided.
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As we are all aware, lots more housing is needed. This is an opportunity to help shape how and where this may be provided.
Why is lots more housing needed in Marple ?
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As we are all aware, lots more housing is needed. This is an opportunity to help shape how and where this may be provided.
Well, I'd certainly oppose more than a minimum of new housing, as we seem to have an excess of new house building already. If producing a neighbourhood plan allows local people to decide whether we need new housing and if so, how much, that can only be a good thing. Of course that won't be the case and in fact the wishes of local people will be ignored at usual and a level of new housing imposed from above.
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Why is lots more housing needed in Marple ?
I think what he meant was that more housing is needed in the UK in general. If we don't engage with the Neighbourhood Plan, we may not get any input into how much more of it ends up being in Marple.
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I don’t feel that I have anything in common with the “Civic Society” as I wish to be able to shop in a full sized supermarket without having to leave Marple.
Should this not be done by the elected councils members, rather than a group of self appointed people?
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I don’t feel that I have anything in common with the “Civic Society” as I wish to be able to shop in a full sized supermarket without having to leave Marple.
Should this not be done by the elected councils members, rather than a group of self appointed people?
Perhaps you could join the Civic society yourself to present another point of view.
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I think what he meant was that more housing is needed in the UK in general. If we don't engage with the Neighbourhood Plan, we may not get any input into how much more of it ends up being in Marple.
Exactly. More housing is needed generally, so this is an opportunity to shape what happens locally.
I don’t feel that I have anything in common with the “Civic Society” as I wish to be able to shop in a full sized supermarket without having to leave Marple.
Should this not be done by the elected councils members, rather than a group of self appointed people?
The whole idea is to get a cross section of people to form a Neighbourhood Forum to develop a plan. The Civic Society have set the ball rolling, but as I understand they are not intending to run it. The idea of the Action and Information week is to attract a broad range of people and stakeholders. eg Friends Groups, Civic Society, Politicians, Residents.
Please come along and see, and perhaps apply to be a member of the Forum. Perhaps others will want a full sized supermarket :)
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The idea probably has merit if only to settle the argument that it is better to have a plan than not have one. I'll probably go and have a look at the exhibition if only out of curiosity.
However, Imho MCS, obviously mean well, 'bless em' but they are a divisive organisation in Marple. It isn't even their fault it is the nature of the effect of self-appointed bodies that claim to represent us. As ringi says we have elected members to do this.
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However, Imho MCS, obviously mean well, 'bless em' but they are a divisive organisation in Marple. It isn't even their fault it is the nature of the effect of self-appointed bodies that claim to represent us. As ringi says we have elected members to do this.
On MCS - I read their objections to the initial signage planning application by Asda, and oh, my, god! There were reasonable objections to be made to some of the things Asda wanted to do (which they since changed), but MCS basically objected to everything, in the process coming across as the archetypal little village committee, with a small minded, petty, "local village for local people" attitude.
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If we get more housing, not a problem, we are going to need more school places amongst other things..
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On MCS - I read their objections to the initial signage planning application by Asda, and oh, my, god! There were reasonable objections to be made to some of the things Asda wanted to do (which they since changed), but MCS basically objected to everything, in the process coming across as the archetypal little village committee, with a small minded, petty, "local village for local people" attitude.
I'm neither a member of the Marple Civic Society, nor am I from Marple originally. However I fail to see what it wrong with trying to keep the wonderful town we have from being ruined by unnecessary development. What is considered necessary, we will have to have and I don't doubt that some changes will be considered necessary, but it does need to be decided locally and not by the council, or government.
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One of the problems with the neighbourhood plan idea is the number of restrictions on what can be done.
The government web page on the subject contains the following.
Local councils will continue to produce development plans that will set the strategic context within which neighbourhood development plans will sit.
and later
Conditions are:
1) they must have regard to national planning policy
2) they must be in general conformity with strategic policies in the development plan for the local area (i.e. such as in a core strategy)
3) they must be compatible with EU obligations and human rights requirements.
Much as I detest the EU, I don't think condition 3 is likely to cause any issues, but the other two may do.
It's very clear looking at the government websites that the idea of the plans is to encourage development and prevent local communities from stopping unnecessary development desired by councils and government.
If the power to produce neighbourhood plans really meant giving power to communities, it would allow communities to stop their area being ruined by development, while still allowing that development which actually benefits the area.
The idea seems to be to force undesirable development on communities and then argue that the community agreed because the development they had no power to prevent is included in the neighbourhood plan.
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A first reaction to this is to agree with a previous poster who said that is probably a better idea to have plan than no plan.
However even a cursory glance at the legislation informs us that these neighbourhood plans seem to be pretty much toothless tigers. I think that Condate makes some good points about 'restrictions' in his relevant post.
We will have to jump through hoops to get these plans accepted. Scrutiny by inspectors, possible public hearings and then after all this such a plan would have no statutory powers enshrined in legislation.
I looked up the appropriate Localism Act 2011 (authored no less by our own Lord Stunell) Part 6, Chapter 3, it states the following;
"...applications for planning permission should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise."
"Material Considerations?" Speaks for itself really.
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I think this plans aims to restrict development in Marple. Let me make it clear I don't think that mass house building is right for Marple but we do need some.
Nationally the population is estimated to increase from 63 million to around 70 million in the next decade, these people need homes. If Marple took a proportionate increase we would need to increase housing stock by about 10%. In don't know how many homes are in Marple but I am guessing at around 800 new homes in the next 10 years based on 8000 current homes.
If we don't build them several things will happen. Prices will go up and it will be even more unaffordable for young people to start on the housing ladder. Also the government gives Councils payments if it reaches its targeted home building, its called new homes bonus payments. Without this bonus resources at the council will be even more stretched.
I hope that any sensible home building in Marple is mixed and provides a proportion of social, starter, semis and larger homes.
These realities need to be built into the Marple plan.
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Here's an update on the Action and Information Week Schedule of Events*
Monday 14th March to Saturday 19th March, 10am to 4pm:
Exhibition at the Public Library on Neighbourhood Planning – what it means and what it can do for Marple. With material from surrounding towns that are working on their own Neighbourhood Plans.
Wednesday 16th March, 5.30pm:
Civic Society presentation on the Neighbourhood Plan proposal at Marple Councillor’s Area Committee meeting.
Thursday 17th of March 7pm to 8.45pm:
Stakeholder Meeting the in the Library. This will give local groups and individuals the opportunity to register their interest and express their views on the proposal.
Saturday 19th March 10am to 3pm:
An Interactive Question and Answer Session on Neighbourhood Plans and the proposed Marple Neighbourhood Forum.
*Check the Civic Society website for updates and schedule changes
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What, more houses in Marple! >:(
The 7.30am metallic snake to Stockport would stretch as far back as New Mills.
We need more routes in & out before even thinking about bringing in more people & traffic, or maybe providing local work other than shelf stacking.
Marple used to be a very busy & prosperous small town with more employment than people, workers being shipped in from all the neighbouring towns, even Manchester. Likely a lot less crime then, with full employment.
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What, more houses in Marple! >:(
The aim of a neighbourhood plan would be for local people to have some say and control over what is built in Marple @Russ . Without it, and maybe even with it, Marple will otherwise get what it is allocated and will have no say in the matter. So it will surely be better to have a plan rather than not to? I would expect a Neighbourhood Plan to address issues like traffic and highlight problem areas like you are concerned about.
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The aim of a neighbourhood plan would be for local people to have some say and control over what is built in Marple @Russ . Without it, and maybe even with it, Marple will otherwise get what it is allocated and will have no say in the matter. So it will surely be better to have a plan rather than not to? I would expect a Neighbourhood Plan to address issues like traffic and highlight problem areas like you are concerned about.
That is correct but having read through this thread & it's diversity there would appear to be too many hymn sheets & not enough looking at the implications of what they suggest. Just mho but how do people put a neighbourhood plan forward when they are in such disagreement.
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but how do people put a neighbourhood plan forward when they are in such disagreement.
They form a Neighbourhood Forum and get on with it surely?
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The aim of a neighbourhood plan would be for local people to have some say and control over what is built in Marple @Russ . Without it, and maybe even with it, Marple will otherwise get what it is allocated and will have no say in the matter. So it will surely be better to have a plan rather than not to? I would expect a Neighbourhood Plan to address issues like traffic and highlight problem areas like you are concerned about.
As I understand it, Marple will get what it is allocated, regardless of anything people here want. The neighbourhood plan can include extra housing over and above what is allocated, but cannot reject housing which the council wants to build. This is clear both from the legislation and also from the preambles to existing neighbourhood plans which make clear there is no real choice. All the plan can do is choose to a certain extent where things get built and not stop unnecessary and damaging development.
Once the plan, with all the develoment people don't want but can't stop, is approved, the council and goverment can say 'well, you supported it', depite the plan being nothing like the plan the people here actually want, because the plan is not about letting local people decide what to do.
For a neighbourhood plan to mean anything, it must allow local people to make decisions which do not have to match what the council or government have decided. Otherwise, it is meaningless and a fraud.
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As I understand it, Marple will get what it is allocated, regardless of anything people here want.
So are you saying that it's a complete waste of time @Condate ?
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As I understand it, Marple will get what it is allocated, regardless of anything people here want. The neighbourhood plan can include extra housing over and above what is allocated, but cannot reject housing which the council wants to build. This is clear both from the legislation and also from the preambles to existing neighbourhood plans which make clear there is no real choice. All the plan can do is choose to a certain extent where things get built and not stop unnecessary and damaging development.
Once the plan, with all the develoment people don't want but can't stop, is approved, the council and goverment can say 'well, you supported it', depite the plan being nothing like the plan the people here actually want, because the plan is not about letting local people decide what to do.
For a neighbourhood plan to mean anything, it must allow local people to make decisions which do not have to match what the council or government have decided. Otherwise, it is meaningless and a fraud.
Unfortunately in most cases if you asked 'communities' whether they want any more development (particularly housing), the answer is always 'no'. So in order for some progress to be made and to actually have a plan for an area / region that makes some form of sense and has some potential to actually happen, then some of the more difficult decisions do need to be made at a higher level where (dare I say it) Nimbyism has less sway. If Marple is allocated some of Stockport's housing numbers then so be it. Putting up the shutters makes no sense and only promotes bad or no planning at all.
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Unfortunately in most cases if you asked 'communities' whether they want any more development (particularly housing), the answer is always 'no'. So in order for some progress to be made and to actually have a plan for an area / region that makes some form of sense and has some potential to actually happen, then some of the more difficult decisions do need to be made at a higher level where (dare I say it) Nimbyism has less sway. If Marple is allocated some of Stockport's housing numbers then so be it. Putting up the shutters makes no sense and only promotes bad or no planning at all.
So basically you agree that the idea of a neighbourhood plan as a way for communites to decide what if any development takes place is a fraud, as it does no such thing. You think that is a good thing, whereas I think it's a bad thing.
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So are you saying that it's a complete waste of time @Condate ?
If the neighbourhood plan is put forward as a way for the local community to decide what development is needed then yes, it's a complete waste of time, as that simply isn't an option. If it's put forward as a way to choose the least worst option, then there is some point. My main concern is that the plan will be used to justify development which is not wanted, because the plan can't prevent it. The plan should make clear that development is forced on the writers of the plan. I know some existing plans to just that.
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So basically you agree that the idea of a neighbourhood plan as a way for communites to decide what if any development takes place is a fraud, as it does no such thing. You think that is a good thing, whereas I think it's a bad thing.
No. I don't think that a Neighbourhood Plan is the place to decide whether or not development should take place. Because in most cases the knee jerk reaction is always 'no thank you', as the Neighbourhood level is always swayed by local interest and not informed by the bigger picture of having to provide for countries needs. A neighbourhood plan is fine for local people to have an input in where and how necessary development is guided and delivered.
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Just 260 new homes built in the whole of Stockport last year, yet the population keeps on rising.
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It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if this 'plan' never gets out of the library. This is yet again an MCS initiative which will have no real official status.
Even if it does get out of the library, in my opinion it will have no impact on the reality of what actually happens. The Planning Committee for the Council will decide what gets built not MCS. Some of us will recall the houses that have recently been built along the canal bank near the Ring O Bells. MCS objected to these. The Councillors just ignored their objections as they politely brushed them aside. The same would happen to any neighbourhood plan.
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Some of us will recall the houses that have recently been built along the canal bank near the Ring O Bells. MCS objected to these. The Councillors just ignored their objections as they politely brushed them aside. The same would happen to any neighbourhood plan.
MCS are a little odd. According to the minutes from their last meeting, they have recommended rejecting planning permission for a development on the old Dale School site as it is for housing and not educational purposes????? What on earth are they thinking could be built there instead? The battle for keeping the Dale school open was lost a long time ago, any development there now is only ever going to be houses - if for no other reason than that is presumably the long term plan for financing the redevelopment of the Rose Hill site.
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MCS are a little odd. According to the minutes from their last meeting, they have recommended rejecting planning permission for a development on the old Dale School site as it is for housing and not educational purposes????? What on earth are they thinking could be built there instead? The battle for keeping the Dale school open was lost a long time ago, any development there now is only ever going to be houses - if for no other reason than that is presumably the long term plan for financing the redevelopment of the Rose Hill site.
I think that they don't want to see anymore development in Marple. Why else would they reject a brownfield development site. Marple Civic Society are trying to impose their vision through this neighbourhood plan and the councillors appear to be broadly in favour based on previous quotes.
This isn't some sleepy Cotswold village that needs protecting. There is a housing crisis at the moment, young people are unable to get on the housing ladder. Some sensible development is necessary in my opinion.
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[MCS] have recommended rejecting planning permission for a development on the old Dale School site as it is for housing and not educational purposes????? What on earth are they thinking could be built there instead? The battle for keeping the Dale school open was lost a long time ago, any development there now is only ever going to be houses.
Some of us will recall the houses that have recently been built along the canal bank near the Ring O Bells. MCS objected to these. The Councillors just ignored their objections as they politely brushed them aside.
It is this sort of mindless knee-jerk opposition which so damages the credibility of the Civic Society. It's just as well the council ignores them!
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It is this sort of mindless knee-jerk opposition which so damages the credibility of the Civic Society. It's just as well the council ignores them!
Credibility of the Civic Society?
Come on Dave! What credibility?
I do agree with your last point. It's just as well the council ignores them.
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Credibility of the Civic Society?
Come on Dave! What credibility?
I do agree with your last point. It's just as well the council ignores them.
According to post 1 the point of this neighbourhood plan is that the Council will have to take note of it if any planning application is made. This is why they are going to the trouble of setting up a community panel and consultation process. If it is approved it will become official policy.
Serious question, what will the scope of this plan be? Will it restrict low level developments like new garages and conservatories?
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According to post 1 the point of this neighbourhood plan is that the Council will have to take note of it if any planning application is made. This is why they are going to the trouble of setting up a community panel and consultation process. If it is approved it will become official policy.
Serious question, what will the scope of this plan be? Will it restrict low level developments like new garages and conservatories?
No Hatter it will not become 'policy' this is a misleading assertion made by MCS. If this neighbourhood plan is accepted then it will have to be given 'consideration' when taking planning applications into account.
Being given consideration is an entirely different situation than becoming policy. We don't know what its impact on low rise development will be, because at this precise moment we haven't seen any plan.
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No Hatter it will not become 'policy' this is a misleading assertion made by MCS. If this neighbourhood plan is accepted then it will have to be given 'consideration' when taking planning applications into account.
Being given consideration is an entirely different situation than becoming policy. We don't know what its impact on low rise development will be, because at this precise moment we haven't seen any plan.
Thanks for your clarification Simonesaffron.
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I think that they don't want to see anymore development in Marple. Why else would they reject a brownfield development site. Marple Civic Society are trying to impose their vision through this neighbourhood plan and the councillors appear to be broadly in favour based on previous quotes.
This isn't some sleepy Cotswold village that needs protecting. There is a housing crisis at the moment, young people are unable to get on the housing ladder. Some sensible development is necessary in my opinion.
Any0ne know whats hapened to the compstall mill site heard a good while back it was ready for aproval.
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There was a good response to the Civic Society's presentation last night, no significant negativity at all. here are some photos by Arthur.
There's a stakeholder meeting tonight at 7pm and the exhibition is on until Saturday.
Go and have a look and make your own mind up!
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There was a good response to the Civic Society's presentation last night, no significant negativity at all. here are some photos by Arthur.
Looking at Arthur's pictures, I've not counted them but there appears to be about 30 people there. Six of them are our local councillors, one of them is MCS chair, another one of them is her husband and two others are MCS committee members. All of these you would expect to be there. That leaves 20 and some of them(IF NOT ALL OF THEM) will be members of MCS. At the last election there were 19,965 members of the electorate. Where are any of them?
I'd call that an awful response, in fact it is an abysmal response to the whole idea which appears to have no support whatsoever from within the Marple community.
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Looking at Arthur's pictures, I've not counted them but there appears to be about 30 people there. Six of them are our local councillors, one of them is MCS chair, another one of them is her husband and two others are MCS committee members. All of these you would expect to be there. That leaves 20 and some of them(IF NOT ALL OF THEM) will be members of MCS. At the last election there were 19,965 members of the electorate. Where are any of them?
I'd call that an awful response, in fact it is an abysmal response to the whole idea which appears to have no support whatsoever from within the Marple community.
I didn't make any comment on numbers or turn-out, which is what I think you mean by "response". I said it was a good response to the presentation. In other words, the people who were there responded positively to the presentation, not negatively. The numbers were pretty good for an AC Meeting and they seem to be getting plenty of people in to the exhibition too.
Expecting a large proportion of the electorate to turn up is totally unrealistic. It's a bit like volunteering, we get around 12 to 16 volunteers on a good task day in the park but that's not many out of a pool of 20,000 is it?
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Fair comment.
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I didn't make any comment on numbers or turn-out, which is what I think you mean by "response". I said it was a good response to the presentation. In other words, the people who were there responded positively to the presentation, not negatively. The numbers were pretty good for an AC Meeting and they seem to be getting plenty of people in to the exhibition too.
Expecting a large proportion of the electorate to turn up is totally unrealistic. It's a bit like volunteering, we get around 12 to 16 volunteers on a good task day in the park but that's not many out of a pool of 20,000 is it?
I didn't go to the meeting last night, as it wasn't practical to do so at that time. I did go to the exhibition in the library on Tueday evening. That's probably typical. I lot more people are interested than went last night. From what I saw and heard at the exhibition, the neighbourhood plan is better than nothing, but it doesn't let us decide how much housing we get. The plan would just let us say where it went. If the council decided to put all housing for the whole borough in Marple, the neighbourhood plan could not prevent it. As I say, better than nothing, but real control would be much better; not that that will ever happen, as councils and government are very fond of their ability to ignore local opinion.
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I too didn't go to the meeting .
The reason that there was no negativity at that meeting was because they all support the plan and the reason they support it is because as Simone points out the audience was made up of either councillors, political candidates or MCS members.
I am sure that thousands will visit the exhibition and sign whatever is pushed in front of them to sign.
I agree with most that has been said about it on this site but for me there are two salient points.
1/ Any plan is better than no plan.
2/ This plan is not enshrined in legislation and as such the Council will ignore it at will.
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Well I too have been to the exhibition and I can't fault the enthusiasm and commitment from the lady I was speaking to, but I concerned about the lack of accountability of the process and of those involved.
That said people taking ownership and responsibility for their community seems to me to be a good thing so long as the final decision making lays with the local authority.
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The exhibition has certainly been busy:
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0krYAO_9xe8/Vu2RFX4Uo-I/AAAAAAAACwc/M5iEcppT8bwRDOiCwT9AfD7SDsmWPev8Q/s1600/MCS%2BNP%2B19.3.16_034.JPG)
And a good turnout for the public meeting yesterday too:
(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlp1/v/t1.0-9/945268_987909207963166_5981546521996784369_n.jpg?oh=23ae6887f2b9c0524c4b1b4acca46aff&oe=57509BD8)
(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10391928_987909217963165_2647660685324497687_n.jpg?oh=03883ebf52d27d92c9b3c3947ccb99a8&oe=578304D5)
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@Michael Taylor, who chaired the recent neighbourhood plan meetings, has posted an interesting blog on the subject:
http://themarpleleaf.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/the-second-marple-spring-high-hopes-for.html (http://themarpleleaf.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/the-second-marple-spring-high-hopes-for.html)