Have your say on the future of Biggleswade!
Biggleswade Neighbourhood Plan Public Engagement
Friday 26th March 2021 – Monday 3rd May 2021
Biggleswade Town Council is in the process of producing a Neighbourhood Plan for the parish area. A Neighbourhood Plan allows a community to play a more prominent role in its future, giving it the power to create a shared vision and policies that will shape the development and growth of the area.
The Neighbourhood Plan, once adopted, will sit alongside the Local Plan prepared by Central Bedfordshire Council. Its role is to expand, extend or amplify the policies in the Local Plan but not to oppose or contradict them. An adopted Neighbourhood Plan carries significant weight in determining future planning applications located in or affecting the parish.
Biggleswade Town Council (BTC) first held a public engagement for the Biggleswade Neighbourhood Plan in March 2019. A questionnaire accompanied this public engagement as well as BTC holding two public open sessions at the Town Council offices and the Orchard Community Centre.
Biggleswade Town Council are now undertaking a second public engagement which will run from Friday 26th March 2021 to Monday 3rd May 2021. The public engagement will be taking place for an extended period of time as it coincides with Easter and the school holidays.
The questionnaire for the second public engagement has been produced following analysis of the first public engagement questionnaire responses. The comments that you made have helped us to produce a draft vision, aims and a series of themes for the Neighbourhood Plan. BTC would now like your feedback on these. The feedback that we receive will be used to form the policies in the Biggleswade Neighbourhood Plan.
The questionnaire can be completed online by using the following questionnaire link or by using the quick response (QR) code.
Alternatively, a paper copy of the questionnaire can be posted out to your address to complete. Please email Lisa King, Biggleswade Community Agent, on biggleswadeagent@bedsrcc.org.uk or call 07534 484750 if you would wish for a paper copy of the questionnaire to be posted to you. The completed questionnaire can then be returned using the freepost envelope provided.
To find out more about the Neighbourhood Planning process, please visit the Locality website.
If you would like any further information about Biggleswade Neighbourhood Plan or would like some assistance in completing this questionnaire please contact Jemma McLean, Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity on jemmam@bedsrcc.org.uk or 01234 834932.
Photographs by Irena Gil, Monica Florea and Armindo Mendes de Matos.