How useful are these? Are they just a bureaucratic check list? It has been suggested that those residents who were anxious to assist with the Parish Plan could get together with the purpose of outlining the essential ingredients for an effective Design and Access Statement.
The Government Housing
Green Paper had just been published it refers to the Government’s intention to
build three million extra homes by 2020. This will
create opportunities and constraints around planning for that level of house
building especially in the North East.
Sandhoe Parish Council will
need to consider Strategic Housing Market Assessments and Strategic Housing
Land Availability Assessments; the code for sustainable homes; affordable
housing; viability and deliverability; and housing delivery in the light of the
move to an integrated regional strategy/the shift to a unitary authority in and
Northumberland.
A new Planning Policy, Statement on climate change is imminent. Sandhoe residents may wish will to look at practical action that we can promote through the statutory planning system and through regeneration activities that can help save the planet. Energy use, sourcing materials sustainably, ecological design, water management, use of schemes like EcoHomes and BREEAM and whole life costing are all important considerations.