Newsletter 13# – 28 October 2014

Local Plan Programme
We now have a provisional date for the start of the Draft Local Plan Consultation (DLPC),which is:
10 November 2014

Accessing the Draft Local Plan
The full set of documents will be available on the Council’s Consultation website:
http://consult.barnsley.gov.uk/portal
The Council will also have a list of events that they will publicise when the consultation period starts. Events will be included in the information that will be sent out notifying people when and how they can access the consultation documents. At the moment we have no information on what “notifying people” entails

The Council also say that they will be arranging a number of drop in sessions where officers will be available for residents to talk to. None of the sessions will be public meetings, so the Council won’t be presenting information. They are intended for people to come and talk to them for any advice and help. They say that the drop in sessions are being made available rather than public meetings as they will allow everyone to have their say. We’ll do our best to ensure the widest possible circulation of this information and encourage everybody to use the facilities offered.

Commenting on the Draft Local Plan
Some discussion has taken place on allowable methods of commenting. The Council’s preferred method of submitting objections is via the online consultation system. Failing that, individual letters of objection will be required. The enclosed data sheet may also be helpful, please click on the following link to see it data_sheet

To comment via the Consultation website, you’ll have to register. It’s an easy process and will give you access to the comment facilities. Please make sure when you register that you select that you are interested in ‘Planning’ as this system is used across the Council. If you do this now and click on “Receive email notifications about new consultation events?” on the form, you’ll receive an email to tell you when the consultation is open. Other ways of making individual comments are:

By e-mail to: planningpolicy@barnsley.gov.uk
By post to: Planning Policy, Development, BMBC, PO Box 604, Barnsley, S70 9FE

However, it has been suggested that in extenuating circumstances, such as with residents who are elderly, and/or housebound and/or without access to a computer, a petition may be accepted with a view to counting every name / signature as an individual. Where the Council can read clearly individual names and addresses they will enter them as individual comments, and the total number of signatures is added to the total number of representations received.

We will shortly be issuing further information on plans to hold a public meeting to discuss the contents of the full range of documents, including, especially, the Green Belt Review, and what you will have to do to get your opposition registered. This will involve a large leaflet drop and we would appreciate your assistance in distribution. Ideally, we need people who will take responsibility for communications in their street, for the initial leaflet drop and then for follow up activity.

Generating a big response will be most important and just relying on everybody to know about the issue and to fill in the on-line form or write letters without at least some support is unlikely to work. We’ll discuss how we can maximise our effectiveness at the public meeting, but please be aware that this is going to require big community effort.

Ian Preddy
28.10.14