NP4B June 2016 Press Release

Neighbourhood Plan for Belper Press Release June 2016

                                                                                  There was lots of interest in the Neighbourhood Plan from the public attending the very successful “Belper Goes Green “ festival this weekend .We had a stall for the two days where members of the Steering group chatted to anyone who stopped to look at our publicity and the Town Model on display.

We had questionnaires completed and many views and thoughts gathered. It was good to see so many people so interested in our town and some volunteering to help with the project.As one person said when signing up to go on the newsletter mailing list “ I live here, Why wouldn’t I be interested in the neighbourhood plan ? ”

We are still in the middle of our second round of public consultations giving feedback on what we have learned so far and getting the information into subject areas that we can use in the final document.

During the rest of June we will be running two workshops :

Wednesday 15^th June at 7.30pm at St John’s Chapel , The Butts.  Topic:

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND HOUSING

This is a significant area of interest and there is naturally lots of interest in new housing developments proposed in the town and where they might be sited. There is strong feedback that we need more social and affordable housing in the town.We are also getting a lot of feedback about how upset people are about the iconic East Mill becoming a deteriorating and embarrassing eyesore.

Wednesday 29^th June at 7.30pm at Strutt’s Community Centre , Derby Road.Topic:

CULTURE AND HERITAGE

The feedback we are getting is that local people value what we have of Belepr’s unique background and want to ensure that we enhance and use it.We are getting views on how to integrate this more into the town life eg by encouraging more tourist information, and public toilets and of course views on parking sites.

So please come along and help include your views on how our town should be developed and encouraged over the next decades. You can find out more by contacting us on:

email :info@planforbelper

Blog: http://np4b.blogspot.co.uk/

Website: www.planforbelper.org.uk

tweet ;@NP$B

or post to NPLan4B, St John’s Chapel , the Butts, Belper DE56 1 HX

Business Drop-in ........... a chance to input ideas for employment and commerce

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN FOR THE BELPER AREA  -

INVITATION TO THE DROP-IN FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES

All businesses in the Belper neighbourhood area – from sole traders, the self-employed and those working from home, through small and medium-sized firms to the big companies – and whatever the field of work - are cordially invited to the business drop-in at 

No.28 Community Hall, 

28 Market Place, Belper 

from 11am to 6.30pm on 12^th July

(please note that this replaces the original arrangement of 22^nd June at St. John’s Chapel). 

It is vital that we have your input so we can accurately assess the current and future needs of local firms and focus on what improvements can be made to assist them.  Also, to understand and protect if necessary what already works well for commercial enterprises in the area.

The drop-in will be an opportunity for businesses of all types and sizes to learn more about the neighbourhood plan, talk to us, give your views, see how to access business assistance in the locality, and take the business questionnaire.  It can be completed and handed in at the drop-in or taken away and returned to us by the deadline.  Questionnaires will also be available other than at the business drop-in. 

In a relatively short space of time the local economy and employment patterns have changed beyond recognition, and are still evolving.  If we are to obtain accurate information about the situation now and in the foreseeable future, some of the questions will necessarily be sensitive.  Only the Chairman, the facilitator and those involved in the analysis will have access to the completed questionnaires, but they can be rendered anonymous if preferred.   The same number would be allocated to the front and first pages of the questionnaire and, in those cases, the facilitator would take the front page with the company’s name and contact details and keep it separate and confidential.

If your business is located within the civil parish of Belper (covering Bargate, Belper, Belper Lane End, Blackbrook, Broadholme, Far Laund, Makeney, Milford, Mount Pleasant, Openwoodgate, Whitemoor, and outlying areas) then it is important to you and your enterprise that we obtain accurate information.  We urge you to complete the questionnaire, which will be available at the end of June. 

Report from Belper Goes Green

The Plan for Belper team are greatly encouraged following a very successful weekend at Belper Goes Green. We were able to talk with many people, explaining to those new to NP4B what it is we are doing and also to give an update on progress to those who have already contributed their ideas or attended one or more of our meetings.

The NP4B Sunday team at Belper Goes Green 2016

The team has also been re-invigorated with some new recruits who will be needed to assimilate the many ideas and comments that we gained over the weekend. Now it's back to the grindstone.

We will be finalising our upcoming meeting dates and venues .......... hopefully by the end of this week. We will also be publishing our newsletter (distributed by email to those who have signed up) and posting here more of our interim reports on our topics.

Finally ........... a big thank you to all who took the time to talk with us over the weekend. The interest shown in the project is most heartening.

Oh ........... nearly forgot ........... thank you to the Transition Belper folk for their hard work putting on this wonderful event. Belper Goes Green has grown into a not to be missed festival and we at NP4B are very grateful for being allowed to attend.

Culture & Heritage -- meeting June 29th at 7:30 pm

There will be a public consultation on June 29th at 7:30 pm

Room 14, Strutts Community Centre, Belper

The topic is:

Culture & Heritage