Local plan scoping consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 1601

Received: 14/08/2026

Respondent: Barry Speed

As mentioned above, we need this Housing Needs Assessment included in the current consultation.

Comment

Representation ID: 1604

Received: 14/08/2026

Respondent: Barry Speed

We need this Land Availability Assessment to be included in the current consultation. It must include a detailed survey of brownfield sites, not just sites that have been submitted by land-owners, developers and land-bankers.

Comment

Representation ID: 1606

Received: 14/08/2026

Respondent: Barry Speed

This is clearly a very complicated area. National policy appears to fall woefully short in addressing issues of energy consumption, renewable energy, water harvesting, thermal insulation, EV charging - in fact many areas that need to be covered to make our environments truly sustainable in the long term.
Local policy must try to address this deficiency in national standards. And local policies should be enhanced, summarised, and included in this consultation.

Comment

Representation ID: 1610

Received: 14/08/2026

Respondent: Barry Speed

Again there is a reference to 'sustainable' economic growth. This measure has to be replaced by a measure of citizen wellbeing.
A priority should be given to the employment, education and training needs of the huge number of young people currently unemployed.

Comment

Representation ID: 1638

Received: 14/08/2026

Respondent: Barry Speed

The plan has to include the problems of our town centres. But it must acknowledge that much of the problem is caused by previous planning decisions - for example allowing massive out-of-town retail centres, not curtailing the volume of delivery vehicle traffic, and not regulating strongly the change-of-use applications for existing shop sites. This could be reversed over time, so that town centres regain a larger mix of shops. And in addition there is scope for more residential provision in town centres. Overall, there has to be some overriding needs assessment for each town centre, to establish a desirable target

Comment

Representation ID: 1639

Received: 14/08/2026

Respondent: Barry Speed

The Waste Needs Assessment should be included as part of the current consultation.
Some major conurbations currently have no local recycling facilities, and this problem needs to be urgently addressed.
There is also limited incentive for re-use as opposed to recycle. Charity shops do a sterling job, but the Council could take a far more pro-active role.
The same goes for shared and rental usage of material goods, in order to reduce consumption and waste.

Comment

Representation ID: 1640

Received: 14/08/2026

Respondent: Barry Speed

We have a huge problem with the current 'carmaggedon'. Most local environments are spoilt by a combination of noise, air pollution and danger, caused by excessive traffic. Any transport policy must start with an overall vision of traffic reduction, based on a measure of residents' well-being. We need incentives for far greater provision and use of public transport, car sharing, and the incorporation of affordable rental and taxi provision into the overall policy. Building policy clearly must reflect this - avoiding a proliferation of out-of-town estates dominated by multi-car driveways and roadways. A 20mph default speed-limit would also help.

Comment

Representation ID: 1641

Received: 14/08/2026

Respondent: Barry Speed

This aspect of the Plan should come first. Without preservation and enhancement of the natural environment, we lose control over climate change and biodiversity.
We need a baseline assessment of the natural capital of the borough, utilising equivalent monetary measures, so that loss of the natural environment can be assessed against gains provided by built developments.
The current 'biodiversity net gain' policies need to be reviewed - many developers outsource the net gain to remote and unaccountable organisations, giving no real benefit to the locality.
Access for all to a truly natural environment should be a part of any policy.

Comment

Representation ID: 1642

Received: 14/08/2026

Respondent: Barry Speed

As mentioned several times previously, some measure of citizen wellbeing, and the preservation and enhancement of this wellbeing, should form a basis for all policies. This will then lead naturally to policies regarding for example truly affordable housing, employment and training provision, public transport enhancement, traffic and pollution reduction, etc.

Comment

Representation ID: 1643

Received: 14/08/2026

Respondent: Barry Speed

Noise pollution is probably one of the least recognised of our environmental problems, often caused by excessive traffic, but compounded by a lack of regulation over weekend shopping, noisy weekend and evening activities, and air traffic.