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Neighbourhood Plan – Speak Up and Be Heard on the Future Planning for Falmouth

Falmouth Town Council, has kicked-off a wide ranging community engagement drive aimed at giving residents, businesses and local groups from Falmouth a real say on how the town should develop up to 2030.

A leaflet and questionnaire will be delivered to every household and business, and there will be two ‘drop-in’ exhibitions where people can find out more and talk to one of the Neighbourhood Plan team. There is also a website www.planforfalmouth.info where people can find out more and complete the questionnaire on-line.  On-line responses are cheaper for us all.

‘We want local people involved as deeply as possible in the creation of a Neighbourhood Plan for the town to guide future development’ said Councillor Candy Atherton, who leads the Neighbourhood Plan Stakeholder Group for the Town Council. ‘This new type of plan, made under new Council powers from the Localism Act 2011, gives everyone who lives in the area the right to be involved in drawing up the plan. When it’s written, the plan has to be agreed through a local referendum, and then becomes ‘made’ in law and must be taken into account when important planning decisions are made by Cornwall Council or Planning Inspectors.

‘It will give local people a real say in how their community develops and support the things that make Falmouth a pleasant place to live, work, learn and visit. It will  also be the means by which we create the planning policies that will back up the proposed Article 4 Direction controlling Houses in Multiple Occupation’

The new Neighbourhood Plan could also help deliver many of the great ideas in the existing Falmouth and Penryn Community Plan where they involve a change in land-use or need a new planning policy.

‘This questionnaire is the just the first chance to have a say in what the Plan should deal with. We’ll be coming back for lots more community involvement as the Plan develops. After the feedback to the questionnaire has been analysed, we will be asking for local volunteers to work in ‘Theme Teams’ to work up ideas and draft planning policies, and holding workshops to collect views on various options, so please watch out for more news.’