Buntingford Council Draft Town PlanAgainst the background of Buntingford Council's draft Town Plan being made generally available, it is considered appropriate and helpful in appraising that plan to reprint the BCS vision of how Buntingford will develop by 2031. The BCS vision statement is built on one proposed by East Herts Council and was originally produced by the Civic Society Executive Committee in November 2010 as part of its response to East Herts Council's Consultation on its 'Core Strategy Issues and Options Document'. The results of that consultation should influence the emerging East Herts Plan for the district. Civic Society Vision for Buntingford to 2031Buntingford will function as a vibrant rural service centre and market town meeting the day-to-day needs of its residents and those living within the large rural hinterland of the northern part of East Herts. Accessibility to neighbouring towns and villages will have been improved. The town centre will have been protected and enhanced, especially its range of small shops and the amount of open space increased. The former Sainsbury's Depot will have been redeveloped providing a mix of housing, employment and community uses. Additional housing will be well connected to the town and encourage walking and cycling and have been provided to help meet the needs of local people and families wishing to move to the town. Growth will have been accommodated without compromising the setting of the town within the wider landscape. New housing development will have been achieved that provides a mix of housing densities suiting the aspirations of a broad socio-economic group of people who will also be actively involved in determining the town's future development. Sufficient environmentally enhancing green space will have been allowed between new and established housing to avoid overcrowding and to help with the integration of new arrivals. In line with the above, a sports facility serving all ages within the town and the northern part of East Herts will have been developed on the Sainsbury site. Sufficient green space for allotments and burial ground will have been retained. Planning for the area will be the responsibility of a district council that, on the basis of an agreed and approved local planning framework, upholds the vision against the pressure of developers. Derek K Cooper, Chairman. |
Bookmark with: