Local Plan 5 Year Review Workshop 2 December 21

Exmoor National Park Authority are undertaking a 5 year review of the Adopted Exmoor National Park (ENP) Local Plan to establish whether the plan is up to date or if modifications may be needed to it, to bring it up to date. This is a legal requirement on planning authorities to complete a review of Local Plans ‘to ensure that policies remain relevant and effectively address the needs of the local community’. ‘The review process is a method to ensure that a plan and the policies within remains effective.’ 

To avoid confusion, this 5-year review is distinct from a full or partial local plan review because it is intended to inform the National Park Authority on whether there is a need to update the ENP Local Plan. As such it is a limited review based on the existing Local Plan, which itself reflects the special circumstances of the National Park. This 5-year review, once complete, will enable a conclusion on whether a full or partial review of Local Plan policies is needed.

We are planning a virtual workshop on certain topics for the afternoon of December 2.

The topics we are likely to cover are:

Housing

Biodiversity

Climate Change

Rural Economy

Community, Local Facilities

Are there any other issues or new evidence you are aware of we should consider, please let us know?

Could you let us know if you wish to attend and which topic you are most interested in. Could you respond by the middle of next week Wednesday 3 November please, preferably using the planning policy email localplan@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk, so we can plan the event.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Faithfully

R Paddison
Planning Policy
Exmoor National Park Authority
Exmoor House, Dulverton, Somerset, TA22 9HL

Visit Our Website at https://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk

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Bus Back Better Needs You

The new Bus Strategy for England, better known as ‘Bus Back Better’, heralds a new way of funding and determining the bus services in our town or village.

Somerset County Council is bidding for £163 million of Government funding to upgrade bus services in Somerset. Once the final Government grant is known, Somerset County Council will begin working jointly with the bus operators in an ‘Enhanced Partnership’ to determine the nature of future bus services in the County. By April 2022, these new bus services will become operational.

So it is of crucial importance that Somerset County Council is made aware of your local priorities for bus services: where the buses need to go, how frequently, at what times including whether in the evenings and at weekends.

Therefore, we need someone from your local Council or a bus user from your area to become your local representative to liaise with us within the Somerset Bus Partnership. We will hold occasional zoom meetings at which your representative can put forward your view on bus priorities in Somerset and each quarter they would be asked to produce a short report providing an update us on your local bus issues. Your local needs can then be incorporated within our submissions to Somerset County Council.

Maybe you are the person who could be that local representative. Or you will know who is the person best suited to the role. Whilst we don’t see it as an onerous role, it is a very important one given our bus services will be going through their biggest organisational shake-up in over 30 years.

If you are interested in this role please contact me at timberscombepcclerk@gmail.com