Proposed Plan – Summer update
Thanks to everyone who dropped along to our consultation events in May and June and for those who submitted their comments to the consultation which closed at the end of June 2015. All our events or meetings were well attended and we are really pleased that so many people took the opportunity to speak with us and submit changes they felt should be made.
During the consultation we reached traditionally hard to reach groups of young folk and working families. We had great fun debating planning matters through the ‘Plan It’ game with 47 students from Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh, Balfron High and McLaren High in Callander. We reached working families through updates on our (now archived) LIVE Park website, Facebook and Twitter pages. In June we held more traditional drop-in events in Drymen, Callander, Balmaha and Arrochar. We were all over the press with newspaper adverts, press releases, and articles in Ben Ledi View magazine.
McLaren Highschool, Callander (click on the image to enlarge)
Click on the image above to enlarge
We received 139 representations which we are currently busy working through – checking details, summarising, putting in order and starting our assessment of the changes people are looking for. The majority of representations related to proposed development sites in Arrochar, Balloch, Callander, Drymen, Succoth, and Tarbet. We have had much less feedback on our policies, strategy and draft guidance documents – this clearly reflects that these are considered to strike the right balance and is good to see.
Once we have finished our assessment, we will provide a report for the Authority Board that seeks approval to submit the Proposed Plan to the Scottish Government who will conduct an examination of all the changes sought to the Plan. The examination will be held by a Reporter from the Directorate of Planning and Environmental Appeals who’s website will make available these reports which are otherwise known as schedule 4s. If you wish to become familiar with the examinations process and the layout of schedule 4s please have a look at the current examinations for other Plans in different parts of Scotland.
Our current Development Plan Scheme provides a steer in the progress of producing the Plan. The scheme aims to have the Plan submitted for examinations December 2015, with examinations up until May 2016 with adoption in December 2016. The Plan is to be reviewed every five years. What is different is that we will include a draft Action Programme which will review the effectiveness of sites and policies within the Plan.
Should you wish to be kept up to date on the process, please follow us on our Facebook page, Twitter page or our bespoke website www.ourlivepark.com