AGM

During the AGM this month all committee members were re-elected. The chairman also provided his report on progress made this year. The forum has been collecting further evidence needed for the neighbourhood plan, such as design guidelines for new development in Whitburn.  We have started translating the evidence into draft policies. To ensure that these policies are fit for purpose, the Forum will enlist the support of a consultant to produce a draft report. We are hoping this draft will be ready in October. The draft report (called a pre-submission plan) will be consulted on, allowing the local authority, statutory consultees (e.g. Natural England, Environment Agency, Historic England) and of course residents to express their views. This will likely lead to further amendments to the plan before a final version can be submitted. See the picture below for an indicative timeline and the steps the plan will need to go through before it can be adopted.