There has been an unexpected development in the Local Plan Process.
Please see below, a communication received from Cllr. Lewis Barber, who is a member of the Local Plan Committee:
"Local Plan Update: Housing and Infrastructure.
It has come to our attention that the Chairman of the Local Plan Committee has requested we vote again on the draft local plan, which saw a significant increase in housing mandated by central government without clear infrastructure proposals.
You may recall that a majority of councillors voted against the plan going to consultation. This was because we felt that it
was premature and did not contain sufficient infrastructure proposals. We requested that work was done before further progress,so we have a proper plan for infrastructure. This is particularly important given the increase in housing numbers centralgovernment has mandated are built in Colchester.
The new vote will be taken again on 7th May without that additional work having been done.
We will effectively be back where we were in February. The chairman is using a constitutional procedure due to a purported change in circumstances.
I do not agree with the vote being taken again as a majority shared our views on what we wanted to achieve, this being a clear infrastructureplan to address the increase in housing numbers the chairman’s central party is imposing on us.
I will be liaising with colleagues and parish councils over the next few days as more details emerge.
Cllr. Lewis Barber
Depending on the outcome of the Local Plan Committee meeting scheduled for the 7th May 2025,
Wakes Colne Parish Council will discuss our next steps, and we will communicate our intentions to
residents as soon as they have been agreed.
Wakes Colne Parish Council
28th April 2025