The Tenterden and Rural Sites Development Plan Document (DPD) is one of the key documents of the Ashford Local Development Framework (LDF) and covers the period up to 2021. Its principal role is to allocate land for residential development in a range of suitable rural settlements. The Plan also includes several topic policies, relevant to rural planning issues.
The document and representation forms are also available to view in hard copy at a number of deposit points across the Borough. Hard copies of the document can also be purchased by calling 01233 330229. Please view the ABC website for more information. |
To read and comment on the document please go to the Ashford Borough Council website via this link
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The Sustainable Communities Act is possibly the most radical new law that our country has seen in over a century. This is because it establishes, for the first time in our nation’s history, a new ‘bottom up’ process where councils are in the driving seat on what government does locally. The potential of the Act for councils is huge - councils can use it to do things like;
- gain new powers
- devolve existing powers and money from central control to local control
- change the planning rules
- reduce centrally imposed duties.
The Act sets up a process, by which councils can put proposals to government for new action and assistance.
BUT
Before your Parish Council and your community can use this Act, your principal council must decide to use it too. Unfortunately Kent is one of the few counties in England where no principal councils have opted to use the Act. The deadline for proposals to be submitted of 31st July 2009 is fast approaching, but it is not too late for the Act to be a success in Kent. You can help make this happen, so please do the following….
ACTION – please do the following
1. Please write to your Principal councillors urging them to ‘Please resolve to use the Sustainable Communities Act by submitting proposals by 31st July 2009’. This will only take a few minutes. I have attached a sample letter which you can use.
2. Please urge people in your Parish to write to their Principal councillors too. The more letters councillors receive the better!
More information on how the Sustainable Communities Act works and how to use it
Local Works is the national coalition that campaigned for 5 years to see the Sustainable Communities Act made law. To find out all about the radical new ‘bottom up’ process that the Sustainable Communities Act has set up and how you can use it go to our website – www.localworks.org or contact me, my details are below.
Steve Shaw, National Co-ordinator, Local Works - promoting the Sustainable Communities Act, office: 020 7278 4443. www.localworks.org |
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ACT SAMPLE LETTER
Below is a sample letter to be sent from you to your borough/district/city/unitary councillors and also to your county councillors urging them to ‘opt in’ to (i.e. to use) the Sustainable Communities Act process.
The text below is a guide, please feel free to compose your own letters as they will be more effective. Also please get other people to write too – the more the better!
Note: You can find out who your borough/district/city/unitary and county councillors are by calling the respective council or going to their website. You can also use the very helpful www.writetothem.com website.
Dear Cllr [your councillor’s name],
Re: using the Sustainable Communities Act
As a local resident I am writing to you to ask you to please table a motion resolving to use the new Sustainable Communities Act process by submitting proposals to government (via the Local Government Association) by 31st July 2009, as invited to by Hazel Blears in 14th October 2008.
The Act is great news for all of us locally. For the first time we have a law that gives local government and local communities the power to drive central government actions and policy to help promote thriving, vibrant and sustainable communities.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
[your name]
[your address]
Please send copies of any replies you receive to Local Works Campaign Co-ordinator, Steve Shaw, at steve@localworks.org or Local Works,
c/o Unlock Democracy,
6 Cynthia St
London N1 9JF
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