UPDATE ON THE SUBMISSION OF THE JOINT MELKSHAM NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN 2 (JMNP2)

The review of the adopted Joint Melksham Neighbourhood Plan is now complete and following the unanimous approval of the latest draft (Submission Version: September 2024) by the Steering Group, Melksham Town Council and Melksham Without Parish Council in late September and early October the Plan has now moved to the next important stage. The Plan, and its suite of evidence documents, have now been submitted to Wiltshire Council where it will be subject to a further 6-week consultation period, and then on to Examination and eventual Referendum. We will notify you of these various stages.

You can view the draft Plan and the evidence documents here https://www.melkshamneighbourhoodplan.org/

YOU SPOKE. WE LISTENED.

Over the past two years, the Steering Group have been part of the local voices that have shaped this Neighbourhood Plan. From online surveys to drop-in events, to working meetings and research, and most recently with consultations on draft versions of the Plan, we’ve aimed to make sure this Plan responds to our shared local ambitions and concerns. We’ve also listened to what ‘statutory’ consultees, such as Wiltshire Council and the Environment Agency said. Alongside this, many businesses, landowners and their agents have also put forward their views about what the Plan should address. This is all summarised in a Consultation Statement - this includes responses to over 1300 comments from the Autumn 2023 and Summer 2024 consultations from the Steering Group. You can view the draft Plan, the Consultation Statement and other documents on the website https://www.melkshamneighbourhoodplan.org/

Councillor David Pafford, Chair of the Melksham Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group says of this important next step in the Plan process:

"“The first Joint Melksham Neighbourhood Plan (JMNP) 2020 – 2026 was brought into force on 1st July 2021 when our community gave it the thumbs up, through a positive community referendum result. It is therefore adopted as part of the Development Plan for Wiltshire to be used to guide and decide upon planning applications. Ongoing and new issues like providing affordable homes in the right places, tackling climate change and helping local businesses recover from the impact of COVID and deal with the Cost-of-Living crisis make it imperative that our Neighbourhood Plan evolves to continue to provide a strong local planning voice, alongside Wiltshire’s emerging new Local Plan that will set out where new homes and jobs will be provided looking ahead to 2038. To achieve this Melksham Town and Melksham Without Parish Councils and the Steering Group jointly launched the review of the Neighbourhood Plan to look ahead to 2038. The result is this second edition of the Joint Melksham Neighbourhood Plan (JMNP2). It has been updated and added to in order to make sure it remains up-to-date, forward looking and strong. This is a bold Plan that goes beyond minimum requirements, with the aim of getting the best possible outcomes from development for our communities as well as providing a legacy for future generations from a plan-led regeneration of brownfield sites. It tackles the difficult issue of housing shortage and need, by taking a positive and proactive approach to managing future development. It prioritises the regeneration of both the Cooper Tires and the Old Library site to support the delivery of homes, jobs and town centre vitality. Both of these projects attracted strong community support at the consultation stage. At Shaw and Whitley, the strategy protects the separate identities of each village and enables the delivery of much needed smaller and more affordable homes. The Plan even seeks to ensure that development granted at appeal, such as land South of Western Way, delivers on local priorities. From those members of our community who are part of our Steering Group, to the people who joined our working groups, to those who have responded to our consultations; it’s local people who have helped to shape this update. Our thanks to the many of you who have taken the time, in one way or another, to contribute to this Plan, to make sure it stays bang up-to-date and gives us the strongest possible say in local planning decisions.“