MM43

'serious' engagement...

Community engagement. Yes but how?
No confidence that CBC will get out and in the community. This consultation has only been advertised on their website. No-one much reads that. This is one of Colchester's best kept secrets. Their record of engagement poor.

EVERY house in the area should have been informed of this plan and as many do not have use of computers etc I feel that the public have not been given the proper information.

This has not been properly publicised.

Masterplan should include highways network upgrades required to handle increased volume of traffic towards Stanway and the A12 J26. Occupancy must be subject to delivery of a new roundabout connecting Warren Lane with Maldon Road in Stanway and improved walking and cycling routes.

As part of the proposed Masterplan which is suggested to be agreed with the Local Planning Authority prior to the submission of any planning application any such masterplan should include highways network upgrades required to handle increased volume of traffic towards Stanway and the A12 J26. This includes occupancy being subject to the delivery of a new roundabout connecting Warren Lane with Maldon Road in Stanway and improved walking and cycling routes.

Remove the Wick from the plan and consult properly on what should happen to it.

Public engagement about the Wick has been inadequate to date.
The questions on the forms we were asked to fill in assumed that building will go ahead, so constricting what members of the public could say.
As an experienced and qualified public engagement expert I was present at both events, I polled people as they came out and found not one person who wanted houses built on the Wick. In fact more people were demonstrating against the plan outside.
Since those two events we have received no communications whatsoever.

No houses should be built

I would expect all dwellings built to be using sustainable materials and insulated to have no heating requirements
And using only sustainable power eg solar and heat exchanger, green roof
A tree in every garden no hard paved driveways. Sips build.

Middlewick should be removed from the local plan.

'The masterplan process should include engagement of the local community' I don't believe this has happened. Many people are unaware of any plans. There may have been something on CBC website but the majority of people would not have seen this. There should be more ways of communicating with the local and also wider community.

Wider public consultation is required that extends across the whole of Colchester as a minimum and be more widely accessible to the public than the previous public engagement exercises.

Given the ecological significance of this site, the masterplan will be supported, as appropriate, with site wide parameter plans, design codes or design guidance, and detailed, i.e. phase 2 ecological assessment.

Engagement with the local community for the masterplan must be more accessible than the previous, inadequate engagement at both the initial stage of the proposals for development, and at this main modification stage.
Public engagement should not be restricted to the 'local community' as the site is widely used by people from across Colchester and beyond. The term 'Local community' is ambiguous and must be determined in the local plan.
There is no requirement to support the masterplan through detailed ecological assessment prior to the submission of any planning application.

This modification needs to be strengthened to say
The masterplan process MUST include engagement of the local community.
It is important to note that only one of the two consultations promised by the DIO, took place and a positive spin was put on the responses they received.

This site was added to the Local Plan without adequate consultation with local community for a site of this complexity. This modification therefore needs to be strengthened to say
The masterplan process MUST include engagement of the local community.
It is important to note that only one of the two consultations promised by the DIO, took place and a positive spin was put on the responses they received.