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06
Jun
Harrogate begins process of creating a neighbourhood plan
A bid to create a neighbourhood plan for Harrogate is underway after a public meeting this week found support for the idea.
Neighbourhood plans enable communities to have a greater say in shaping the future of their local areas.
They are often created by towns and villages who feel their voices are not heard in decisions about new housing developments, but their remits extend beyond planning.
More than 2,400 communities across England have already started neighbourhood planning. They include Knaresborough and Pannal and Burn Bridge locally.
About 50 people attended a meeting at West Park United Reformed Church on Tuesday (June 4) to gauge interest in starting the process in Harrogate.
It was organised by Paul Hatherley, Stuart Holland, Kathryn Jukes and Jemima Parker, who have led the initiative so far, and ended with a vote on whether to take matters forward.
In a question and answer session before the vote, an audience member asked what influence a neighbourhood plan would have with local authority North Yorkshire Council.
Mr Hatherley, of Harrogate Civic Society, replied:
The answer is ‘a lot’. The Localism Act creates a legislative right for neighbourhood plans to become statutory documents that the local authority has to accept as just as important as its own local plan. So it has huge influence.
The meeting at West Park United Reformed Church.
A show of hands at the end revealed overwhelming support to progress the idea, which means a forum will be created to take matters forward.
The forum will consult with people in Harrogate to find out what issues matter most to them and what they would like to see in the plan before it is drawn up.
However, ultimately the plan will only be adopted if the majority of people who vote in a referendum agree to do so. Getting to that stage could take four or five years.
Jemima Parker, chair of Zero Carbon Harrogate, said it was “absolutely fantastic” to see so much enthusiasm at the meeting. She said:
This is not a dry planning process — it gives us the opportunity to share views and have stronger, more resilient communities.
Stuart Holland, who recently stood down as chairman of the civic society, said the plan could help to reinvigorate Harrogate. He said:
We have a new mayor in York, a long way away, and no local body to represent the town.
We are losing our reputation as a spa town compared to places such as Buxton and Bath but we have people who are passionate about the future of Harrogate.
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