Ruishton and Thornfalcon Parish Council is putting its Draft Neighbourhood Plan out for Regulation 14 Public Consultation on the 26th of April. Respondents will have until June 7th to express their views on the content of the Plan.
The Parish Council feels it is essential for people who live and work in the local community to ‘have a say’ on the policies that will determine how their area develops into the future.
Information can also be found online on the Parish Council’s website and social media plus online Q and A sessions are being organised. The Parish Council is distributing letters and leaflets to all parishioners inviting them to submit their comments. Similarly statutory bodies and other interested parties will also receive notification of the Plan.
The Plan contains policies covering the community, housing, traffic and transport, environment and heritage, and the economy and employment. It covers the period up to 2028 and is based on a longer-term vision for the future of the three separate communities of Ruishton, Henlade and Thornfalcon.
It recognises the threats of Taunton’s urban sprawl, flooding, traffic congestion and pollution, the loss of countryside and heritage while seeking to provide adequate housing, jobs, walking and cycle routes, and community facilities for residents.
Mike Marshall (vice-chairman of the Parish Council) says it has taken several years of consultation and research to arrive at this point. The Plan has been shaped by the wishes of the people of Ruishton and Thornfalcon and this consultation is their opportunity to express their views on the proposals.
In earlier consultations residents wished to see their separate communities maintained, valuing their access to the countryside, and the rural environment that surrounds them.
The Plan anticipates that that there may be a new A358 and a new Local Plan for Somerset West and Taunton in the near future, which it will address through a review of this plan.
For now everyone in the Parish, and all those with an interest in Ruishton and Thornfalcon, is encouraged to have their say on the future of their communities during this consultation period.
For further information, contact the Neighbourhood Plan Administrator ruishtonnp@hotmail.com.
