For decades people have been infuriated by planning regulations, which they feel are inappropriate to remote rural areas. Our communities want more control over the style, scale and location of housing developments, and they want to allow farming families to do barn conversions to house their children. I am a longstanding supporter of this initiative and was, therefore, involved in the Upper Eden referendum of 2013, in which 90% backed their own neighbourhood plan. This subsequently attracted significant Government funding and was the country’s first community-written plan. By giving planning power to local parishes, it delivered something fundamental; the ability to shape our own home environment. This continues to be the key to affordable housing, to the next generation of farming, to small businesses, and to preserving the beauty of an area we love.
Rory has welcomed this week’s announcement by Planning Minister Greg Clark that new funding to help communities bring jobs and homes to their neighbourhood using improved planning powers is becoming available. Having helped to pioneer the Upper Eden area as a frontrunner in national neighbourhood planning policy, the local MP cited the news as a […]
Rory is reminding constituents to engage in the future of their area, as Eden District Council gives the green light for the first Neighbourhood Plan in Cumbria to be produced. Under new powers contained in the Localism Act, local communities can come together and develop a Plan for their area which, once adopted, will form […]