LOCAL people should have more of a say in local developments as part of a new Neighbourhood Plan which is being drawn up for Melksham Town and Melksham Without.
A new steering group has been formed to put the plan together, and local residents will be consulted and given the chance to vote on the plan before it is submitted for governmental approval.
The Neighbourhood Plan is being formulated as a result of legislation introduced by the Localism Act 2011 which seeks to encourage communities to “own” the plan and become proactively involved in decisions about planning matters at local level.
Representatives from Melksham Town Council, Melksham Without Parish Council, the Area Board, the Community Area Partnership and other interest groups are working together to generate a plan for the Melksham community area.
This process provides a unique opportunity to shape future development within the parishes of Melksham Town and Melksham Without. The plan will be generated through a process of consultation and engagement with local residents who will then be asked to vote on it, prior to its formal approval by a government inspector and adoption by the local community.
Steering group chair, cllr Richard Wood said, “The prospect of a Neighbourhood Plan presents an exciting opportunity for Melksham people to have a say in how future development should take place. We’ll be updating people on the work of the steering group as the plan develops, and we’ll aim to provide a range of information gathering events and mechanisms by which members of the community can let us know their thoughts, views and aspirations.
“We hope that as many people as possible will participate in this process which will ultimately benefit the Melksham community.”
