Oldham Council is inviting residents to have their say and help shape how Saddleworth could look in the future.
Saddleworth Parish Council has submitted an application – the first of its kind in the borough - for the designation of a Neighbourhood Area within its boundaries so that they can begin preparing a neighbourhood plan for the area.
A neighbourhood plan helps parish councils develop a shared vision and complementary planning policies to the council’s Local Plan.
Communities have been part of the planning process for a long time, however the Localism Act 2011 empowers residents so that they can have a greater say in ‘neighbourhood planning’ in the places where they live and work.
Once passed the neighbourhood plan becomes part of the statutory development plan and is used to determine planning applications alongside the overall Local Plan for that neighbourhood area.
Comments about the Saddleworth Parish Council application to designate Saddleworth Parish Council boundary as a neighbourhood area are welcomed.
This is an opportunity for people who are interested in neighbourhood planning to get involved early in the process.
Any views we receive will be made publicly available.
More information on the application is available at www.oldham.gov.uk (follow the links to the Local Plan pages); at local libraries; at the Civic Centre Planning Reception.
Consultation starts on Friday, August 19, 2016 and comments must be received by 5pm on Friday, September 30, 2016 via the objective consultation website at oldham-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/oc/planning/ by email to [email protected] or via letter to Strategic Planning and Information, Oldham Council, Room 310, Civic Centre, Oldham, OL1 1UG.
Following the consultation, Oldham Council alongside the Peak District National Park Authority and Saddleworth Parish Council will consider any representations made and decide whether to designate the neighbourhood area.
Having a neighbourhood area designation will mean that Saddleworth Parish Council can start the process of preparing a neighbourhood plan with advice and assistance from the local authority and the Peak District National Park Authority.
Saddleworth Parish Council has also submitted an application to the Peak District National Park Authority which covers part of the Parish
There is already a u.d.p. for Oldham, not sure how more documentaion will work. difficult to get hold of a councillor now in SADDLEWORTH. if we pay our rates to Oldham and extra for Saddleworth we should get excellent services. People dont feel that they have a voice that is why the new U.C.A. was formed
After speaking to many residents in Saddleworth they have not heard of the boundary neighbourhood plan and are not sure how it will benefit them if there is one. More information needs to be furnished on this matter if the S.P.C.is speaking for the whole of saddleworth. These are only short term positions for the councillors, but Saddleworth residents will have to live their lives on decisions that are made.
I live on peak park side of gellfield lane in a listed buiding on same site i have a second listed dwelling. planning rules for peak park are much tighter than for oldham and i am not allowed to sell the buildings separately whereas in oldham i probably would.i would be pleased if neighbourhood area powers could alter this situation