Lack of Community Involvement
The key to successful Neighbourhood Planning is that it should be based on extensive community Involvement with surveys and communications with the local population from the start and ongoing throughout the process. Meaningful community participation helps to build a consensus about what the community wants to see in its Neighbourhood Plan. It’s not easy but it’s essential, especially as the plan has to pass a referendum with a majority vote before it can be adopted.
See here for more details of what should happen.
Lymington Society don’t feel that the Town Council have followed these principles in the way the Lymington and Pennington Neighbourhood Plan has been developed so far. There was one public exhibition and survey in summer 2017 and another is planned for January 2023. We would like the Town Council to be much more open and transparent from no on in the way they prepare for and develop the Neighbourhood Plan.
> The Neighbourhood Plan Explained
A Need for Community Engagement
The whole basis of the production of a Neighbourhood Plan is that it should be based on detailed, and transparent community engagement and involvement. It should be a gradual process with repeated rounds of consultation with the community as the initiatives and ideas bubble up and flow from the community.
It is for this reason that the Society has written to the Town Council and to the local press suggesting that the current process should be paused in order for a new attempt to be made to reach out to the local community. This would enable residents to decide the issues that are felt to be important locally rather than the issues that the paid external consultants believe are important.
Our Letter to the Town Council Asking for a Delay and More Community Involvement.
Have your say!
The Lymington Society has put together an online questionnaire to assist with preparation for the forthcoming Neighbourhood Plan consultations to be carried out by Lymington and Pennington Town Council. Everyone in the Lymington and Pennington community is welcome to complete the questionnaire – it’s a great opportunity to put forward your thoughts and concerns on a range of planning issues faced in the local area.
Click to complete the Lymington Society Community Engagement Survey
The Lymington Society 