Myland & Braiswick Neighbourhood Plan Review

CONTEXT AND SCOPE

The Plan cannot be used to challenge developments already present in CBC's existing Local Plan, it will have to "conform generally to the strategic policies and proposals of the Local Plan" and care has been taken to do this.

The Government's National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) seeks to ensure the delivery of "sustainable developments". By that, the NPPF means we enhance quality of life for our residents now and for future generations. This Plan is therefore concerned with working alongside the development of housing and other sites within Myland and Braiswick to establish policies to address identified shortfalls in economic, social and environmental conditions within and surrounding our neighbourhoods.

The Plan establishes a number of policies which are defined in the following pages. They fall within the subject areas covered in earlier and recent community engagement surveys and are mirrored in our objectives:

• Housing
• Education
• Employment
• Environment
• Social Amenity
• Sport and Leisure
• Transport
• The Public Realm

The full range of survey material taken into account consists of:

• June 2000: An all-households survey carried out on the creation of Myland Parish Council.
• March 2007-10: Local events in response to CBC's Core Strategy Policies, culminating in a Masterplan for Myland.
• 2009-10: Local events and questionnaires on the Myland Design Statement and Myland Parish Plan.
• March 2010: Local events and communications on the response to the Chesterwell development masterplan proposals.
• October 2012: A local community engagement exercise covering Myland and run by Essex University on behalf of CBC.
• May 2013: Myland Development Committee public meetings.
• 2013-14: All household survey for the Plan with related and other communications via the Mylander magazine and MCC website.

Post Initial Adoption Reviews and Surveys To-date

Since the Plan was 'made' in 2016 there has been continuous attention to developments within the Plan Area against the Plans objectives and policies. A Neighbourhood Plan Working Group has existed throughout the period 2016 to date and is expected to continue.

• 2017-2021 Working Group annual reviews of policies against developments in Myland and Braiswick. These found a consistent high level of policies being followed and remaining relevant.
• Autumn 2020 on-line Health and Well-being Survey. This survey was carried out in recognition of the attention that needs to be given to health and well-being and to seek areas of community life that may require action on behalf of MCC. The survey results were again considered as input to the Plan Review.
• 2021 – 2022 articles in the Mylander magazine. These articles reminded residents of the role and importance of the Plan. They pre-warned and then advised residents on the upcoming allhousehold survey
• January – February 2022 all-households on-line or hardcopy survey. This was followed by publication of a summary of the survey results which found overwhelming support for the existing Plan objectives and policies.
• August-September 2022 Statutory Consultation on-line to households, prescribed and other appropriate organisations and representatives. Results supported the Plan, for example the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board welcomed the degree of attention given to health and well-being. National Highways and CBC and provided a number of helpful refinements to existing policies or rationale.
• The Plan Review period has also seen MCC declare 'A Climate Emergency', adopt a related policy document of environmental issues and develop and adopt a Myland and Braiswick Green Network document. The latter identifies existing, planned and possible recreational and natural green spaces and linkages.
• The Forward to this Plan refers to the Myland Design Statement (MDS). During the Plan Review process the original MDS recommendations were all reviewed for ongoing relevance and were found in most cases to remain pertinent and supporting of the Plan's policies.

The history of the Plan's scope as shown above evidences a continuous period of assessment and community and other consultation events since the creation of Myland Community (previously Parish) Council. The full list of consultation processes undertaken for the initial Plan and for this Review is repeated in the 'Consultation Statement' that accompanies the Plan Review Submission. The Consultation Statement also includes:

• February 2019 example of a Neighbourhood Plan Working Group Annual Review Report.
• The summary and full analysis of the January/February 2022 all-household survey results.
• A summary of the Statutory Consultation.

The Plan and this Review of it run alongside Colchester's Development Plan. The latter contains the Colchester Local Plan, (Section1 adopted in February 2021 and Section 2 adopted in July 2022). The Development Plan also comprises the Essex Minerals Local Plan (2014) and the Essex and Southend-on-Sea Waste Local Plan (2017). Neighbourhood Plans when adopted also form part of the Development Plan for Colchester.