Your chance to have a say on villages’ future

Parishioners have the chance to mould how their communities will grow during a public consultation into their Neighbourhood Plan.
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Idridgehay, Alton and Ashleyhay Parish Council has prepared its Neighbourhood Plan, which sets out how the area will develop in the coming years.

It will now go out for consultation for six weeks starting on March 28.

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The plan is the result of a year of hard work by volunteers.

More than 70 per cent of residents returned their questionnaires and their views have formed the proposals, which aim to allow some new housing and encourage small–scale businesses, while maintaining the valued landscapes that characterise the area.

Secretary of the Neighbourhood Plan steering committee, Councillor Jane Smith, said: “The main thing that people in the area are passionate about is the landscape.

“But we must move forward. We’ve got to be pro–development.”

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The vision of the parish council is set out as follows: “By 2028 Idridgehay and Alton and Ashleyhay will continue to be a thriving and attractive rural area. Its special landscape, flora, fauna and traditional architecture will have been protected and enhanced and will continue to be valued by residents, visitors and business.

“It will have a vibrant and mixed age community providing people with a high quality place to live and work.”

Objectives outlined in the plan include protecting and enhancing the landscape and traditional architecture, allow limited small–scale housing development to sustain a rural community and retain a variety of house types and sizes to encourage a balanced community.

Promoting high quality and sustainable design and supports appropriate sustainable small–scale enterprises providing benefit to the local community whilst protecting the character of the area is are also objectives.

Residents can comment on the Neighbourhood Plan on the parish council website, www.iaa-pc.org.uk, from the start of the consultation. A hard copy will also be available at Wirksworth Library.

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