SADDLEWORTH’S much-discussed neighbourhood plan is going through its latest stage, a formal consultation.
The document, described as helping, ‘to shape what happens in the Parish over the next 20 years,’ has been revised extensively from its original.
Views of local people, combining policies relating to health, social care and education into a single section to make it clear the importance they place on this in the planning process., have been taken on board.
It also includes specific policies on the environment – including creating four new sites being designated as local green spaces, meaning greater protection for Dawson’s Field in Scouthead, Diggle Fields, Springhead’s Ashfield Playing Field and Church Fields in Dobcross.
Now it has gone to formal consultation as it gets nearer to its final version.
Saddleworth Parish Council’s chair, Cllr Barbara Beeley, said: “It was critical to us that this plan really reflected the concerns of local people and gives them genuine powers to improve planning decisions that take place in Saddleworth.
“Each policy reflects a real worry that was raised with us by residents and sets out an approach that developers should meet if they are wanting to build in Saddleworth to ensure the best standards possible.
“In each case, the policy looks to tailor any works done to make sure they properly contribute to the community when any works are done.”
Other policies cover design and heritage, health wellbeing and education, housing, retail, commerce and tourism and travel and transport.
And Cllr Beeley believes everything can be related to the area.
She added: “People are often very sceptical about planning, and we were very aware of that when we wrote this document.
“In every instance, we looked at the issue and tried to think ‘What is the most we can legally do to make this better?’
“There is always more that you can do, but when I look at any policy in the plan, I can see how it is specifically intended to make things better, and I can’t ask for any more than that.
“I hope that people who care about making our area the best it can be will look at this plan and be able to see that in each and every policy.”
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