Have your say about how Southend develops
Published Thursday 1st July 10 in Council - news and information releases news
This is it! Make sure you grab the opportunity to help shape the future of YOUR Borough.
Residents in Southend are currently being consulted about two crucial planning documents for the town - the Southend Central Area Action Plan and Development Management Policies.
Once these policies are adopted they will become part of the statutory Local Development Framework for the Borough.
This framework contains the policies against which all kinds of planning applications are assessed - from plush new hotels to your neighbours' conservatory.
The Southend Central Area Action Plan consultation document considers the planned growth and regeneration of the Town Centre.
It aims to achieve the right planning strategy for the central area and ascertain how it might be implemented and will act as a catalyst for getting key agencies and landowners to work together.
The Development Management consultation document considers the different types of policies that could be used to determine planning applications.
This will replace the current Borough Local Plan, which dates from the mid-1990s.
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Executive Councillor for Transport and Planning, Councillor Mark Flewitt, said: "The current fragile economic situation is having a direct impact on public and private investment decisions.
"These decisions can, in turn, affect the delivery of new houses, employment opportunities and infrastructure schemes in the Borough.
"However, the Council is committed to providing a flexible and effective Planning Framework to guide development decisions so they meet the needs and aspiration of local people and the business community.
"This means planning for the longer term now so we are ready for when the economy recovers.
"We all care about our physical environment and all the complex issues that make this up. Here is an opportunity to discuss how our environment should be shaped into the future."
The Council is inviting comments and views on proposals in these documents and will consider all responses in preparing a further document for the next stage of consultation. If you care about your Borough, now is the chance to have your say on how it develops in future.
The Documents can be viewed or downloaded from the Council's website http://www.southend.gov.uk/ and may also be viewed at all the town's libraries and the Civic Centre in Victoria Avenue , Southend. The consultation closes at 5pm on Monday 9th August.