Six-year-old Emily’s prize-winning logo for neighbourhood
A NEW logo has been designed for the forthcoming Leek Neighbourhood Plan.
Local First School pupils were invited to design a logo indicating what they love about Leek and 145 children took part. The Logo, to be known as “Love Leek” will feature on all documents, the website and everything else connected with the plan.
Last week the winner of the competition was announced with Emily Fleet, a pupil at All Saints’ First School, taking the first prize.
A £20 voucher was presented to Emily at her school, by the chairman of Leek Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, Councillor Lesley Roberts who congratulated all the entrants on their creative skills and their efforts in participating in the competition.
She said “It’s been pleasing to receive such a good response from the children. I think that in terms of succession planning for Leek area we need to involve the youngsters and their parents to gather their appreciation and opinions.
“A Neighbourhood Plan is a legal document that sets out local, particularly planning, policies for the area.
“It’s used to help decide whether to approve planning applications for houses, buildings for community facilities or changes to existing buildings, including conversion of mill buildings. The difference with a Neighbourhood Plan is that it is written by the local community, the people who know and love the area, to ensure the community gets the right developments in the right place. It has to be taken into account when planning applications are considered.”
Emily said: “I feel happy that I have won, and I really enjoyed designing the logo. I chose the monument, the library and the church as they are special buildings to Leek. I am going to buy lots of craft supplies with my award as I like making things” while mum Jenny said, “I am really proud of Emily. It is nice that the younger generation are involved in something for the future.”
Ann Sharratt, who is a member of the steering group, said: “Everyone in Leek is entitled to have their say on how the town will develop and we are very keen to reach everyone so that they can do so.”
County, district and town councillor, Charlotte Atkins, said: “It is vital that we involve everybody in the process of the developing future of Leek and it is ideal that we are involving young people in designing the logo so that they feel it is very much their project. It is their future we are talking about. Everyone has views, but their views are going to be the most important, as it is their future, their town.”
The steering group would like parents/grandparents/aunts and uncles – in fact everyone in the town to become involved in the plan.
The group will be publicising opportunities to do so in the Post and Times, on social media and their website loveleek.org and will include details of what where.
If you have ideas and you’d like to be involved you can also email Julie. taylor@leektowncouncil.co.uk with the heading “Love Leek”.
The Leek Neighbourhood Plan Steering group will have a stall at the Totally Locally Sunday Market on February 3, and will be asking for more of your thoughts for inclusion in the is happening and plan. They are looking for the ideas of all generations on how they would like to see their town develop in the future.
Neighbourhood planning was introduced under the Localism Act in 2011. It gives communities a way to help shape the future of the place where they live and work.
It also enables members of the community to have more say where new houses, businesses, shops and community facilities should go.
Once the plan has been prepared, an independent examiner checks that it meets the correct standards.
Following this the district council will organise a referendum on the plan. If more than 50 per cent of people support it, the local planning authority must bring it into force.
Once a plan is in force, decisionmakers are obliged by law to take what it says into account when they consider proposals for development in the neighbourhood.