Eight Ash Green Neighbourhood Plan

7 Consultation and process

7.1 Development of the Plan throughout its whole process has been based on continuous consultation with a wide variety of different parties with a particular focus on the villagers. Full details are contained in the Consultation Statement but broadly speaking, these were the main steps:-

• Following the decision taken by the Parish Council in February 2015 to produce a Plan, a Neighbourhood Plan Group was formed (see Annex A)
• The Group then undertook a wide programme of work (full details are contained in our Project Plan and Consultation Statement both of which are available on the Neighbourhood Plan website) to:
  • obtain agreement of Colchester Borough Council of the Designated Area for the Neighbourhood Plan (the Parish boundary)
  • obtain the necessary funds at various stages to support the programme of work
  • draw up a list of potential stakeholders
  • undertake a physical housing survey to establish the number, type and location of all the houses currently in the village
  • undertake a physical survey of the nine potential sites put forward as part of the Colchester Borough Council Call for Sites programme (see below) as well as three other possible sites identified by Colchester Borough Council but not put forward by the respective landowners
• meet with and fully consult with all the landowners and/or agents for the 9 Call for Sites localities
  • audit the existing infrastructure in the village
  • create a profile of the area
  • meet with various businesses/owner in the village
  • meet with the local farmers
  • carry out (3) surveys, to include an assessment of all the sites being put forward for development; the number and location of houses in the village; as well as obtaining details of the traffic survey carried out by Essex County Council

• gather the evidence required from local stakeholders eg health, education, transport, the church
• consult the villagers as appropriate by way of (3) focus group meetings, (11) open village meetings (eg 254/102 villagers attended) as well as (3) home visits and displays at (3) village festivals, all the while keeping them informed of progress eg (12) flyers – updates delivered to every household; (11) articles in the village newsletter delivered to every household; and (14) regular updates to the Neighbourhood Plan website
• hold an Annual Public Meeting every year (3) to remind villagers about progress over the previous year; to seek their views and answer questions; and to set out the forthcoming programme of work
• distribute a questionnaire to every household to obtain the views of the villagers on a number of specific points (477 responses received equivalent to a 33 per cent response rate)
• continue close liaison with Colchester Borough Council throughout the whole process (18 meetings)
• establish a good working relationship with the Rural Community Council for Essex (participated in 7 training – network events) to include obtaining their neighbourhood profile of our village
• deliver (29) presentations/updates to the Parish Council to include the submission of 2 papers
• being mentioned (9) times in the local newspaper