Chance for Ottery St Mary and West Hill residents to have say on future of parish
View of St. Mary's church, Ottery St. Mary. Ref staycation1. Picture: Alex Walton - Credit: Archant
‘The Neighbourhood Plan allows us to look at issues affecting our home and voice an opinion’ - Cllr Jo Talbot
Residents are being called upon to have their say in shaping the future of Ottery and West Hill when a new series of consultations is launched in the new year.
Members of the Ottery St Mary and West Hill working group have received feedback from the district council on the first draft of its Neighbourhood Plan – a document that will form a blueprint to influence future development in the parishes.
The group will meet in January to discuss any issues within the suggested amendments, before presenting it to the public for a six-week consultation.
Councillor Jo Talbot, chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan committee, said: “The parishes of Ottery St Mary and West Hill have had a hard time over the past few years. The number of new houses has far exceeded the number we thought we were going to get and all without any thought about infrastructure and traffic issues.
You may also want to watch:
“The Neighbourhood Plan has allowed us to look at these issues and voice an opinion that hopefully will enable us to look out for our parishes in the future and shape them as we, the residents, want them.”
The group set up a regeneration group in response to resident feedback to improve the town centre and visitors’ experience.
Most Read
- 1 'Battered and shattered' traders start to reopen their shops
- 2 Former Ottery science technician celebrates her seventieth year
- 3 Folk festival boosted by £97K grant from Culture Recovery Fund
- 4 Confidence grows for return of traditional high street
- 5 Different species of deer are part of our wildlife inheritance
- 6 Sidmouth Youth Centre on a mission to help feed families
- 7 Around the sitting room in 80 days with the amazing Diana, 98
- 8 Hayman's Butchers 'had been my life' - Stewart Hayman
- 9 It's our time to share our fortune and 'do our bit' as we start to re-open
- 10 We're open again! Town's traders welcome back shoppers
Cllr Talbot added: “It has been hard work getting the Neighbourhood Plan to the point we are now at and we hope it covers most of the concerns and aspirations the residents have.
“2017 is going to be an interesting year when West Hill will become its own parish, but, regardless of this, it will still be part of the Neighbourhood Plan area and will work alongside Ottery St Mary parish in enabling the plan to be robust and constructive.”
