Neighbourhood Plan For Barton

Final approval to develop a Neighbourhood Plan for Barton was given by North Lincolnshire Council in April this year.

A Neighbourhood Plan is the third tier of the Government’s Planning Policy. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out national policies and priorities and the Local Plan has the North Lincolnshire Council area priorities. The Barton Neighbourhood Plan will set out what the people of Barton want to see in the Town for coming years. It is mainly a land use document but can include community aspirations identified through the process.

It will develop a shared vision for Barton, and might include issues such as:

• Where new homes, shops, offices and other developments can be built
• Look at developing affordable housing and bring vacant or derelict housing back into use
• Provision for businesses to set up or expand their businesses
• Transport and access (including issues around roads, cycling and walking and access for disabled)
• Restrict certain types of development and change of use to avoid too much of one type of use
• The locations for the development of local services – cultural, sport, leisure, health, places of worship and schools
• Identify and protect or create important green spaces, parks, sports pitches, allotments and plant trees.
• Influence what new buildings should look like.
• Protect important buildings and historic assets such as archaeological remains
• Promote renewable energy projects

List courtesy of CPRE/National Association of Local Councils publication

The first step is to consult with every household and business in the Town. Normally this would be done at public events like the Carnival, but obviously that is not possible at the moment. So in July a questionnaire will be delivered to every household in the Town to find out people’s views on a host of issues. An on-line option will also be available – more details to follow.

Using grants from North Lincs Council and the Government set aside for Neighbourhood Planning, consultants with experience in this work will be employed to analyse the results and draw up a list of priorities for the Town for further consultation. Local planning policies to reflect the Town’s wishes will be developed from this initial work. These cannot contradict Local Plan policies, but they can influence how they are implemented in Barton.

Once all these policies have been drafted, checked by NLC and gone through various other processes, they will be put to a vote by the people in the Town. If the majority agree with the Plan, then it will become a statutory Planning Document which must be considered for every Planning Application for Barton.

There is a huge amount of work involved, which will take many months to complete. So we also need to expand the current Civic Society Steering Group, which has brought the process to this stage in partnership with Barton Town Council. We aim to involve representatives from other organisations in the Town and individuals keen to help. A number of sub groups will be set up to do the detailed work, for example: Built environment – housing, infrastructure and employment; Natural environment; Education; Transport, roads and access; Cultural; Sporting and Leisure; Other services. There will be plenty of opportunities for people to get involved, bringing a true local flavour and expertise to the final plan.

While many other Towns and Villages across North Lincolnshire are involved in the process, only Appleby has achieved an agreed plan so far. If you want to see what our plan could look like go to their website http://www.applebypc.org.uk/

Finally, if you would like to find out more or get involved in some way please do get in touch
email: bartonneighbourhoodplan@gmail.com

Post: c/o Barton Civic Society at Wilderspin National School, Queen St Barton. DN18 5QP
Facebook :@BartonNP
Neil Jacques
Chair, Barton Civic Society.