Businesses in Birchington are supporting a consultation effort by Birchington Parish Council to get the views of residents about the Birchington Neighbourhood Plan.
The Plan sets out local policies for new developments and if adopted it the aim is for it to give Birchington residents more say over property development and planning matters in the area.
The consultation runs until October 20 and it is open to anyone – local people and businesses, and others – to comment and express their views. Each response will be analysed by the parish council before the Plan is formally submitted to Thanet District Council for further consideration.
‘Easy read’ summaries of the document are widely available at locations around the parish at:
Best One, Minnis Road | Birchington Library, Alpha Road |
Brills, The Square | Convenience Store, Canterbury Road / King Edward Road |
Co-op (x2), Station Road | Foxgloves, Station Road |
Gulf Service Station, Brooksend | Harbour Bakery, Station Road |
Macys News, Station Approach | Mandy’s Delicatessen, Station Road |
Monty’s Fruit & Veg, Station Road | Priceless, Station Road |
The Bay Fish Bar, Minnis Road | The Bottle Shop, Station Road |
The Seaview, Station Road | Village Square Café, The Square |
The full plan with detailed narrative, evidence and supporting documents can be found on the parish council’s website www.birchington-pc.gov.uk/neighbourhood-plan . Printed copies can be found in Birchington Library or at the parish council office.
Comments can be made online at: www.birchington-pc.gov.uk/npfeedback or by using the feedback form included in the plan summary.
To support consultation, informal drop-in sessions have been arranged; the first were held in the Village Centre and Kearns Hall where residents stopped by to discuss a range of issues in detail.
One further session is scheduled at Church House on Monday, October 4 between 5:30pm – 8pm
Neville Hudson, Chairman of the Parish Council, said: “It is most important that as many people as possible take up this opportunity to let us know what they think of the plan. After this consultation the plan will be scrutinised by Thanet Council and an independent examiner before coming back to Birchington for a referendum.
“If it passes all the tests and is adopted it will have legal status alongside the Thanet Local Plan and, of course, it will give Birchington a much bigger say in planning and development matter that affect the parish.”
Good to see that local business are supporting the opposition to the mass destruction of a village even though all the new proposed dwellings mean extra customers.
If the noble burghers of Birchington hadn’t scuppered the proposed Local Plan presented a couple of years ago, they wouldn’t be in this pickle now.
I thought TDC decided these things – please explain?