Welcome to the latest edition of the ‘Creating a Place for Life’ blog.
The Garden Community proposal has now been agreed by Colchester and Tendring Council within Section 1 of their planning framework – the Local Plan. Now we need to undertake the ‘masterplanning’ needed and to develop the blueprint for the Garden Community, through a Development Plan Document (DPD). And to do so, as much as we can, listening to local residents.
To that end, before Christmas, we published our Engagement and Consultation Strategy which outlined the importance of community and stakeholder involvement in the creation of the DPD. And, following the publication of the strategy, I am pleased we have launched our new engagement website, which is already gathering some great thoughts and ideas. Please do look at talk.tcbgardencommunity.co.uk and share your ideas, or you can ‘like’ and add to the ideas already published.
The next step is for us to recruit the members of the Community Liaison Group and the Youth Liaison Group. These two groups will allow us to gather further insight and ideas from local people. Being a member of one of these groups will offer a great opportunity to help contribute ideas for the Garden Community, have access to information and help us develop ideas for wider engagement with the community and our stakeholders.
We are looking for local, passionate people, who want to make a difference and offer constructive feedback as we progress with the DPD over the next two years or so. Recruitment for the two groups is now open and you can find out more at talk.tcbgardencommunity.co.uk.
Recently, the members of the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community Member Group met again. We discussed the positive response to the engagement website so far and the recruitment drive for members of our two community groups. We agree on the importance of an open approach, sharing what we can.
We also talked about how the two Councils might best work together in the future. We have asked officers to prepare some options that will help us carry forward this Garden Community together and we will share those when agreed.
Finally, may I take the opportunity to wish you an enjoyable bank holiday weekend in a couple of weeks. We can hope for some spring sunshine! Thank you for your interest, please do follow our progress and let us know what you think, as we go.
Cllr David King
Colchester Representative on the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community Member Group