‘YOUR SHOUT’ - WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT NOW!

PLEASE TAKE PART IN THE SOUTH EAST PLAN CONSULTATION SO OUR VOICE IS HEARD

*** THE THREAT TO THE GREEN BELT HAS NOT GONE AWAY ***

As we’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, the South East Regional Assembly (SEERA) takes over responsibility for planning across the whole of the South East from 2006. Their Draft South East plan is now subject to public consultation, and they are sending a questionnaire called ‘Your shout’ to every household in the South East.

You may think that this doesn’t concern us in Central Oxfordshire – BUT IT DOES! SEERA exists, and although it is not directly elected, is here to stay and we must engage with it at every opportunity to make sure that issues of concern to us, in this community are heard.

The questionnaire asks a number of questions – we would ask you to complete the ORIGINAL of the questionnaire as suggested here, adding your own answers to questions 1, 7 and 8. Whilst we might not all agree 100% with the suggested answer to every question, the ticks overleaf show the answers that SPADE feels most closely support the Oxfordshire County Council Structure Plan which we have all worked so hard to influence with your help over the last year. Also, if we all send back the same answers, we will create a body of comment which is statistically significant, which is our aim.

Also, within the South East Plan there are a number of policies which relate specifically to the area of Central Oxfordshire – this means us! The plan documentation asks for comment on these policies (although you will not find they have given you room on Your Shout to do so!).

So that notice is taken of our concerns on the policies that really affect us, here in Central Oxfordshire, we would ask you to make further comment by completing the attached extra comments form which SPADE has drawn up. We have provided comment on the key policies in a way which is designed to support protecting the Green Belt from inappropriate devleopment, and left additional space if you wish to add your own comments. We want to create as big a response to this plan as we did to the Structure Plan so that they have to take notice – SO PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM TODAY.

In Sunningwell, Whitecross, Wootton, Sugworth Lane, Bayworth, and Boar’s Hill, someone will call about a week after you receive this newsletter to collect the forms. SPADE will then collate them and send them to SEERA together. If you receive this in another area, please send both the forms back to SEERA at the address on ‘Your Shout.’

As usual, numbers count, so everyone over 16 in your household can complete the questionnaire. If you need more, please contact us .

If you wish to view the questionnaire before you receive it in the mail (and you can also complete it online), or if you wish to see the plan in its entirety, both can be found here