Volunteers needed to create neighbourhoood plan

NEWBURY Town Council is appealing for volunteers after voting to create a neighbourhood development plan (NDP) for the parish of Newbury.

An NDP is a statutory document which sets out the vision for an area and helps to guide planning decisions and where developments take place.

The document is community-driven, meaning that by creating an NDP, Newbury residents will have the power to formulate and shape the future of the town in the years to come.

In order to progress the NDP, the council says it is establishing a steering group.

This is a small collection of people, comprised of Newbury town councillors and volunteers from the community.

The people in the steering group will be the ones who will carry out consultations with the community, gather evidence and ultimately write Newbury’s NDP.

The council’s planning and highways committee chairman Nigel Foot (Lib Dem, West Fields) said: “To make Newbury’s NDP a success, we need your help.

“If you have experience in project management, planning or activism and community engagement, and you also have an interest in making Newbury a town we can all be proud of, please do contact us at NDP@newbury.gov.uk

“In addition, some of the policies in Newbury’s NDP will include the protection of our important non-designated heritage assets, taking further steps toward carbon reduction and helping to increase active travel opportunities around the parish.

“If you have a background in heritage, carbon reduction or renewable energy, and active travel, we would like to hear from you.”