Dear Editor
By now, I suspect most folk have had just about enough of politics, what with the local elections in May and the snap General Election. A new Government is being formed and life goes on. As residents of Aycliffe, we will be affected directly and indirectly by government policy and elements of these policies will filter down through Durham County Council and to a lesser extent, even down through Great Aycliffe Town Council. On 22nd June 2017 you will be asked to go to the ballot box once more. This time it will be to say a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ vote in a referendum. The passing or rejection of this referendum will affect all residents of Aycliffe, now and well into the future.
For the past four years, Great Aycliffe Town Council has been working with residents, businesses and community groups to create a Neighbourhood Plan. The Plan sets out the vision for the Parish and seeks to: protect and retain the traditional green areas, open spaces and environment for the community; to alleviate the existing, overwhelming parking problems whilst allowing grass to be retained as the dominant finish; to retain and protect the green and leafy character of our area; to protect Aycliffe Village from urban sprawl and maintain the traditional village feel; to ensure future developments meet objectively assessed need, including the needs of residents and are of good design; provide affordable housing; to ensure developers provide sufficient suitable older persons’ accommodation; to support the development of more two bedroom accommodation; to ensure developers avoid small one bed accommodation; to ensure sufficient parking and storage is included in new developments; to ensure all new developments include sufficient green open space to maintain the garden city framework of the ‘Beveridge vision’; to ensure all new developments are built to the highest possible energy efficiency standard; to facilitate and encourage improved retail provision for Newton Aycliffe; to support and encourage local jobs for local people; and to ensure Parish needs are considered first when community infrastructure levy and ‘106’ monies is available from future developments.
The Neighbourhood Plan has gone through a number of stages including considerable public consultation, countless project meetings and scrutiny by an independent planning official on behalf of the Department for the Environment. At a DCC planning meeting on 16th February 2017, the Town Council successfully argued the case for rejection of a planning application concerning development of green open space. The basis of the objection to the planning application was underpinned by the
The Future of Our Town is in Your Hands – Please Vote Neighbourhood Plan. This demonstrates the significant importance of the Neighbourhood Plan, even before formal adoption. The referendum on 22nd June is the final stage for the Plan and will signal its adoption or rejection. It could possibly be the single most important decision you will be asked to express an opinion on, for some time. I would urge everyone eligible to vote to do so, be that a postal vote or by going to their polling station, to support the Neighbourhood Plan and vote in the referendum.
Cllr Jed Hillary Mayor 2016/17.
