You’ll have the chance for a fresh say on borough future
PEOPLE will again be given the chance to have their say on major proposals for the future of West Lancashire.
And the councillor responsible says he expects initial feedback to be taken on board.
A consultation on the council’s proposed Local Plan, which could result in about 16,000 homes being built by 2050, ended earlier this month, but residents will again be asked for feedback next year.
The proposals cover double the length typically seen in Local Plans, with key council figures saying long-term planning is needed to ensure decisions on developments are made locally, rather than by the Government, or overly influenced by developers.
It is also seen as key in the bid to see a train station built in Skelmersdale and to capitalise on major job opportunities being created through the planned Liverpool Superport.
After the first consultation ended on December 13, officers will now work through the hundreds of written answers from residents and businesses, responses from organisations such as Highways England and Lancashire County Council, and feedback at consultation events before presenting analysis and options to the Local Plan cabinet working group. The chairman of that group, Cllr John Hodson, said he was hopeful that changes will be made at the next stages as a result of feedback.
On top of the consultation events attended by council officers, Cllr Hodson chose to attend events held by groups such as parish councils across the borough. In these meetings, he gave presentations to explain the reasoning behind the proposals and took questions from those attending.
In contrast, the formal consultations held by officers required residents to book appointment slots.
“There’s always a debate on what is the most effective form consultation.
“The big ones attended by officers in the past have not always been the most successful, because often, when you have a big group, if one person is the most vocal, they can dominate, which makes it harder to have conversations with others.”
Cllr Hodson described of the questioning from interested groups, particularly the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) as “very intensive” but was glad to be able to answer them personally, saying he believed it was the right thing to do rather than simply “sending out officers to face the flak”.
The consultation events came after a packed-out Cabinet meeting saw police called out as tempers boiled over and councillors were reportedly spat at.
But Cllr Hodson, who represents the Scott ward, said that subsequent events had been much more orderly and allowed him to explain the plans to concerned residents.
The working group is due to meet again early next year, with a consultation on an updated draft set to be launched during the summer.