More Information
NB Parish in the context of Parish Councils has nothing to do with churches. Historically, the area covered by a parish council tended to be the same as the area covered by the parish church.
What is a parish plan?
There are effectively two planning systems at present, which can best be described as (a) "Community Planning" and (b) "Spatial Planning".
(a) "Community Planning" is principally concerned with the delivery of services and provision of facilities.
(b) "Spatial Planning" is principally concerned with land use, development and design.
Our Parish Plan is part of (a) Community Planning. It links into the Chelmsford Borough Community Plan, which itself links into the Regional Plan. (In Our Files is a paper on how this all fits together - in PowerPoint and PDF versions. If you do not have Adobe Reader you can download it.)
The Parish Plan is a natural progression from the Village Design Statement produced in 2004. The VDS dealt principally with managing development within the Parish.
The VDS described the character of the local area and produced design guidance and practical ways to care for and enhance the appearance of the area. It could not deal with community and social aspects of the Parish, that is where the Parish Plan comes in. This is of much wider scope.
A Parish Plan sets out a vision for the future of the Parish and identifies the actions needed to achieve that vision. It is a local, action-based plan which addresses a range of problems and opportunities affecting rural communities.
It is principally for our Parish but should also influence other statutory processes. It is based on information provided through survey, research, consultation and community participation.
A Parish Plan is a statement of how the community sees itself evolving over the next few years; the Plan should: -
- reflect the views of all sections of the community,
- identify which features and local characteristics people value,
- identify local problems and opportunities,
- identify needs, aspirations and priorities,
- and finally and most importantly prepare a plan of action to achieve identified objectives.
More information on this Government website
The parish plan process is supported by the Rural Community Council of Essex
What makes a good Parish Plan? Download a PDF leaflet from the Countryside Agency's website. PDF link
Parish Plans - Guidance for town and parish councils A list of PDFs on the Countryside Agency's website.
Parish Plans and the planning system: Guidance and advice for local planning authorities from the Countryside Agency's website
