PARWICH.ORG

The Peak District National Park Authority start today their public consultation on their new Core Strategy for the Local Development Framework.  This is the policy document that is used to inform their planning decisions.  The focus of this consultation is on their website, where there is an on-line survey, with various background and ‘preferred option’ documents.

Assimilating all the information and implications of such consultations can be hard work.  Anyone who wants to help summarise the information to ensure as many people as possible are aware of what is being proposed, please let us know either by commenting below or emailing parwich@hotmail.co.uk.   Also sharing comments on the process often helps others clarify their views so please do add your own comments or email them in to create further posts.

It is important that as many Park residents as possible have their say if we are to influence future planning decisions.  The Authority does not always recognise the level of self-employment and the number of small businesses in communities such as ours.  Although it is important to preserve our beautiful scenery and fine old buildings it is also important we ensure the Authority recognises what is required to ensure our communities continue to flourish.

Also increasingly the Authority is relying on the internet for their public consultations, so do let anyone you know, who might want to comment but is not on-line, about this consultation.

For the Authority’s full press release

PR 637 – 23 October 2009
Have your say on national park planning issues

A public consultation is to be held about suggested changes to planning policies in the Peak District National Park.

Residents and businesses are being asked by the Peak District National Park Authority to give their views on the latest stage of the Local Development Framework – the master plan against which all planning applications in the national park will be judged from 2011 to 2026.

Some of the key changes will help:

• Find new ways of providing more affordable homes. For example, buying homes on the open market to become affordable housing or through regeneration projects.
• Encourage greater energy efficiency and use of renewable energy in building designs to tackle the impact of climate change.
• Work with communities to find the most appropriate places for new homes or other buildings.
• Encourage people to travel in and around the national park by public transport

Key parts of the existing planning policy that remain are:

• Helping provide more affordable homes
• The need to ensure all development is in keeping with a national park landscape
• Large scale renewable energy projects, like wind farms, are not suitable but smaller, well designed projects in the right location will be encouraged
• Over time the level of mining in the national park will be reduced encouraging a search for alternative sources outside the area to be used first

The document has been developed to take account of views given in earlier public consultations and now outlines the preferred options of planners.

A public consultation will take place between Monday 26 October and Monday 7 December to get feedback from residents, businesses and visitors.

Councillor Hilda Gaddum, chair of the authority’s planning committee, said:

Planning decisions affect the lives of every person living in or visiting the national park.

I hope everyone with views on planning in the national park will take the opportunity to see what is proposed and let us know their views.

The comments given will be used to produce the final version of the document next year. A further public consultation will then be held before the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is asked to approve it. We expect the new planning policies to come into force in 2011.

The public consultation can be seen by visiting www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/ldfconsultation and following the on-screen instructions, which allow comments to be made online until the 7 December deadline.

Responses can also be emailed to policy@peakdistrict.gov.uk or made in writing to Brian Taylor, Policy Planning Manager, Peak District National Park Authority, Aldern House, Baslow Road, Derbyshire, DE45 1AE.

Paper versions of the consultation are available from the authority’s customer service team on 01629 816200 or by emailing customer.service@peakdistrict.gov.uk