A new initiative to gather views and opinions on the future development of Tendring will get underway this month.
Tendring District Council (TDC) is looking to plan for new jobs and houses up to 2026 - and wants to hear from anyone who has an opinion on the way forward.
It will involve taking into account housing demand and employment opportunities whilst also protecting and enhancing the environment and providing new services.
The Council wants to hear from all parts of the community including individuals, groups and organisations, businesses, landowners, developers, agents, MPs, town and parish councils, its own councillors, the voluntary sector, and those in education.
TDC will be going out to consultation for a six week period from March 23 to May 1, 2009.
The initiative will involve public exhibitions throughout the District, workshops and even going into schools to speak to students.
The exhibitions will be staged during the daytime, evening and weekends to ensure that everyone gets an opportunity to go along.
There will be a consultation document with a series of questions with options for people to look at and comment on which will help focus attention on the major issues.
Iris Johnson, Portfolio Holder for Planning at TDC, urged everyone who is interested to take time to get involved in this very important process.
"Planning really does affect everyone and we want to strengthen community involvement and encourage greater participation in shaping the local environment," she said.
"The consultation period from March 23 to May 1 is the time for people to make their views known and make them count. If they miss the boat and come forward afterwards it really will be too late to make a difference."
People will not have to answer all the questions in the document - only the ones that they are directly interested in.
At the end of the consultation a further document will be put together giving a flavour of all the views put forward and will form part of the Local Development Framework.
"No decisions have yet been made yet and everyone really does have the chance to have input into the whole process," added Cllr Johnson.
"Landowners have the opportunity to put potential sites forward, Town and Parish Council can say whether they would like to see growth in their areas and where it should be and individuals can give their opinion on what should take place in the part of Tendring in which they live.
"I cannot emphasise enough that we really do need the views of all, including developers and other stakeholders."
16/3/09
VISIT YOUR LOCAL EXHIBITION FOR YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE A SAY ON THE FUTURE OF YOUR DISTRICT.
Date Venue Time
Saturday 28 March 2009 Sam's Hall, Clacton-on-Sea 10:00 - 15:00
Wednesday 1 April 2009 Weeley Village Hall 10:00 - 14:00
Friday 3 April 2009 Elmstead Village Hall 10:00 - 14:00
Saturday 4 April 2009 The Columbine Centre, Walton 10:00 - 15:00
Monday 6 April 2009 McGrigor Hall, Frinton (formerly WI) 10:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 7 April 2009 Holland-on-Sea Public Hall 13:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 8 April 2009 Ardleigh Village Hall 09:00 - 12:30
Wednesday 8 April 2009 Sam's Hall, Clacton-on-Sea 16:30 - 20:30
Thursday 9 April 2009 Ogilvie Hall, Lawford 16:30 - 20:30
Tuesday 14 April 2009 Jaywick Resource Centre 10:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 15 April 2009 St Osyth Village Hall 10:00 - 14:00
Thursday 16 April 2009 Brightlingsea Community Centre 10:00 - 17:00
Friday 17 April 2009 Great Clacton Community Hall 10:00 - 14:00
Saturday 18 April 2009 Manningtree Methodist Hall 10:00 - 15:00
Monday 20 April 2009 Dovercourt Central Church Hall 13:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 21 April 2009 Council Offices, Weeley 09:30 - 13:30
Wednesday 22 April 2009 Harwich Park Pavilion 16:30 - 20:30
Thursday 23 April 2009 The Columbine Centre, Walton 16:30 - 20:30
Friday 24 April 2009 Sam's Hall, Clacton-on-Sea 10:00 - 17:00
Saturday 25 April 2009 Dovercourt Central Church Hall 10:00 - 15:00
Monday 27 April 2009 Great Bentley Village Hall 16:30 - 20:30
Tuesday 28 April 2009 Council Offices, Weeley 18:00 - 21:00
Wednesday 29 April 2009 Alresford Village Hall 10:00 - 14:00
Thursday 30 April 2009 Thorpe-le-Soken WI Hall 13:00 - 17:00
amenity2
Iris Johnson said, ""Planning really does affect everyone and we want to strengthen community involvement and encourage greater participation in shaping the local environment," she said. "
What she might have said is, The effects of Planning really does affect everyone.
So many decisions are "Executive Decisions" and all this looks just the same as before.
For instance, she went on to say;
"The consultation period from March 23 to May 1 is the time for people to make their views known and make them count. If they miss the boat and come forward afterwards it really will be too late to make a difference."
This is the nub of the matter, we are stuffed by any cranky or bent decisions taken now until 2026.
Things should change, this sort of rigidity in favour of the executive is overbearing.
Those in whose interest it is (financial usually) no doubt will pay attention.
ivan burit
An on your comments Amenity, i also agree.
Taken into perspective, if we had made major plans for 2010 (they already had been made by the way) way back in 2005 for 2006 / 2010,
how could they cope with the downturn in 2009...(well they are struggling as we speak)
SO, taking the long term look to 2026, in a downbeat 2009, then expecting to get it right, is like looking into a mirror when wearing rags, and expecting to look good.
Its not going to happen, is it.
We have Bishops Park still under threat of closure in the next 5 or so years "even if" it becomes an acadamy.
The reasoning is they cannot predict the pupil numbers thats needed to fill the school to keep it viable.
so if pupil numbers cannot predicted in a "short" 5 years,
how can we predict for the next 17 years ?
Is it just me, or can i only see some futuristic planners who would like to be known for certain future projects, but planned with the uncertainty of their very own jobs future in the next few years ?
It would be like playing a sick game of russian roulette, but on yourself...
Plan and be dammed, but get it wrong, and you`ll be dammed for your plan.
As i`ve just looked through the venues again,
Sams Hall, which has had fortunes spent on it over the last year or so with our "regeneration money"
has 3 seperate events in the diary,
but our Brooklands resource centre has only one event in its diary.
Both are, or were, in the designated zones of being in the 3rd worst areas in the country,
one area has had fortunes spent on its infrastructure,
one has had lots - lots less, made even worse by the threat of losing neccesary funding to keep the community hub`s building open.
If its looked on as the thread of society,
one wears furs, while the other wears rags.
....lol