Sleaford Neighbourhood Plan Press Release - December 2024

17th December 2024

What kind of town would you like Sleaford to be in the future? How would you like the town to look and feel as a place to live, work, study and enjoy your leisure time? You can now help shape the future of Sleaford by responding to the draft of the first ever Neighbourhood Plan for the town.

A Town Council sub-committee has been steering the production of the Neighbourhood Development Plan for the town. The Plan is the result of more than two years of consulting residents, businesses, visitors and local organisations about what kind of town they want Sleaford to be by 2040. As well as having community representatives on the sub-committee producing the Neighbourhood Plan, there was also a 'People's Panel' of residents and business owners to advise on developing the best possible plan.

Councillor Robert Oates, Chairman of the Working Group said "The community has told us that they would like to see the town develop as a thriving centre for business, entertainment, shopping and recreation, with better transport systems, sustainable housing, and all essential services. The Neighbourhood Plan includes proposals in all these areas and more. But we need to be sure that we are making the right proposals in all those areas before the plan is finalised."

All residents, businesses, visitors, local organisations and others are now invited to comment on the draft Plan, so that it can be further improved. Our message is: do not let others decide for you! Without a Neighbourhood Plan the future of Sleaford will be steered by developers according to their needs, not yours. By contributing to the Neighbourhood Plan, the community can influence development decisions to be the best for them.

The Neighbourhood Plan will not just sit on shelves ignored. It will be a legal document that is part of the development planning process and must be considered whenever an application is made for planning permission for new buildings or other developments in the town. The Neighbourhood Plan will help to get the right new buildings in the right places to the right designs. Having a Neighbourhood Plan will also bring the town more funds from developers, to provide more community facilities such as parks, play areas and public toilets.

Working Group member Mr Keith Maltby said "As we enter our final public consultation on the Neighbourhood Plan, we have a generational opportunity for everyone to have their say and contribute to the future of Sleaford. Through this Plan we can ensure that what is good about Sleaford remains good and what is new is right for our town. This has been a driving focus of my own contribution so far. I encourage everyone to offer their own contribution through this consultation, to make the plan genuinely one for all the people of Sleaford."

More information about the plan and how you can respond to the consultation online can be found at www.sleafordneighbourhoodplan.co.uk. In addition, information leaflets about the draft Neighbourhood Plan and hard copies of it for inspection, are currently available at Sleaford Town Hall and Sleaford library and will be available after Christmas in The Source on Southgate and the New Chapel in Greylees. Consultation response forms for you to fill in will also be available at those locations. The consultation period runs until the nineth of February, but early responses are welcome.

In addition, there will be an information stand about the draft Neighbourhood Plan, with consultation response forms that you can fill in, outside of Sleaford Town Hall on the following Fridays from 9am to 12 midday – 20th December, 10th January, 17th January, 24th January and 31st January. Please come along and chat with members of the Neighbourhood Plan Committee about how you want to see Sleaford develop.

From

Councillor Robert Oates, Chairman,

Sleaford Neighbourhood Plan Working Group