Parish Cake Autumn 2020

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
Have Your Say –
Don’t Miss Out!
Cllr. Nancy Warne on the upcoming consultation of the draft
Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Neighbourhood Development Plan
PLANNING IS a complex and
serious subject, and one which
many people don’t want to
think about. Until it directly
affects us, we don’t necessarily
want to get involved at all. But
planning has a huge impact
on our lives and the level of
development proposed for our
parish will affect all of us.
Neighbourhood planning
gives us a chance to shape
future development in
our parish. This is why it’s
important to take the chance
this autumn’s consultation on
Cranbrook and Sissinghurst’s
Neighbourhood Development
Plan (NDP) offers and have your
say.
The consultation period will
run from mid October 2020 for
six weeks – so please take this
opportunity to have your say in
helping shape the future of our
community!
WHAT’S IN THE PLAN?
The draft plan has taken
years to develop and has been
informed by extensive public
engagement events. The
planning policies within it
encapsulate what is important
to the parish’s residents,
businesses and community
groups. They relate directly
to the parish of Cranbrook
and Sissinghurst and should
FERIA URBANISM
conform to planning at borough
and national level. The draft
TWBC Local Plan has the
proposed housing allocations.
Our neighbourhood plan’s
policies are specific to our
parish and describe what we
most value and would like to
protect, and what we would like
to see in any new developments
in the next 15 years. The
purpose of this consultation
is to find out what you think
about these draft policies. The
plan includes seven areas:
• Design & Heritage
• Landscape & Natural
Environment
• Access & Movement
• Business & Employment
• Housing
• Community & Culture
• Infrastructure
You may think we’ve missed
things out, you may feel we’ve
included too much. You may
have an opinion about the
priorities for community
infrastructure in the parish
and what we should be asking
for from the developers. The
recent lockdown has given
us time to re-evaluate what’s
important to us and we’d like
to hear your thoughts on that.
THE CONSULTATION
Due to the government’s
restrictions as a result of
the coronavirus pandemic,
the parish council is not
yet sure whether we are
able to hold face-to-face
public engagement events.
However, things may change
and we have provisionally
booked the Vestry Hall and St.
George’s Institute for dates
in October in case we are able
to run events by then. We will
provide updates nearer the
time on the parish council and
NDP websites, and on social
media.
Be assured that these
events will be properly riskassessed
and made Covidsecure
through limited-entry,
one-way systems and other
safety measures. For residents
unable to attend, the NDP
Steering Group will be holding
question and answer sessions
online via the Zoom platform.
What do you Think? Have Your Say!
Consultation on the neighbourhood development plan runs from
mid-October for six weeks. All your comments will be taken into
account and will help to inform the final version. Your voice matters
and can make a difference!
View and respond at www.cranbrookandsissinghurstndp.co.uk
Email at info@cranbrookandsissinghurstndp.co.uk
Or see hard copies and leave your comments at the Parish Office,
The Old Fire Station, Stone Street, Cranbrook TN17 3HF.
Parish Cake • Autumn 2020 19