Post by Poundbury on Apr 1, 2009 0:28:52 GMT 1
www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/D....il/article.html
District's golden planning chance
Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 07:00
THE South Hams has been handed a 'golden opportunity' to spend up to £139,000 on employing the Prince's Foundation to help sort out the development future of the entire district.
And if the council can fast track its development blueprint for the next decade it could be in line for even more grant cash.
The money is the equivalent to a three and a half per cent hike in council tax. The cash will come out of the council's planning delivery grant — money from the Government tied to how efficiently the council runs its planning and development control operations.
The Prince's Foundation is being invited to bring its 'enquiry by design' system to the South Hams to help organise the consultation process involved in drawing up development plans for the whole district based on the four main towns, Totnes, Dartmouth, Kingsbridge and Ivybridge, and the rural areas.
The foundation, which is behind Prince Charles' model village at Poundbury in Dorset, has already worked successfully with South Hams Council on the 4,000-home Sherford new town on the edge of Plymouth.
The planning framework, which planning authorities have to update every decade or so, is designed to spell out where future development should be allowed to take place.
In the case of the South Hams, that means finding room for the hundreds of new homes and the acres of employment land Government has said it should accommodate.
The district council began the process for the Totnes and Dartington areas last year but shelved it after deciding to run the five local plans in tandem — instead of one after the other — thereby speeding up the whole process.
It is also hoped that by bringing in the Prince's Foundation the district council will be able to deliver the plans on time.
South Hams Council leader John Tucker: "This gives us a golden opportunity to have the expertise of the Prince's Foundation."
Details of the various sites in and around the towns and villages in the district where development may be allowed to go ahead are due to be unveiled in May.
District's golden planning chance
Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 07:00
THE South Hams has been handed a 'golden opportunity' to spend up to £139,000 on employing the Prince's Foundation to help sort out the development future of the entire district.
And if the council can fast track its development blueprint for the next decade it could be in line for even more grant cash.
The money is the equivalent to a three and a half per cent hike in council tax. The cash will come out of the council's planning delivery grant — money from the Government tied to how efficiently the council runs its planning and development control operations.
The Prince's Foundation is being invited to bring its 'enquiry by design' system to the South Hams to help organise the consultation process involved in drawing up development plans for the whole district based on the four main towns, Totnes, Dartmouth, Kingsbridge and Ivybridge, and the rural areas.
The foundation, which is behind Prince Charles' model village at Poundbury in Dorset, has already worked successfully with South Hams Council on the 4,000-home Sherford new town on the edge of Plymouth.
The planning framework, which planning authorities have to update every decade or so, is designed to spell out where future development should be allowed to take place.
In the case of the South Hams, that means finding room for the hundreds of new homes and the acres of employment land Government has said it should accommodate.
The district council began the process for the Totnes and Dartington areas last year but shelved it after deciding to run the five local plans in tandem — instead of one after the other — thereby speeding up the whole process.
It is also hoped that by bringing in the Prince's Foundation the district council will be able to deliver the plans on time.
South Hams Council leader John Tucker: "This gives us a golden opportunity to have the expertise of the Prince's Foundation."
Details of the various sites in and around the towns and villages in the district where development may be allowed to go ahead are due to be unveiled in May.
