Local people to shape the future of employment, leisure and housing

Date:  26 July 2005

Three Rivers District Council is calling on local shoppers, sports people, students and business people from all walks of life to help plan the future of the district. The announcement was made ahead of the deadline for comments on the District Council's proposed methods of consultation on 5 August.

Over the next three years the District Council will prepare a new plan for the district. The plan will decide where new houses, businesses and services will be located up until 2021. Importantly, the plan will map out ways to protect the environment, including the 68% of the district which is green belt (an area which amounts to the size of about 10,000 football pitches).

The district also has over 1,000 trees carrying preservation orders plus 17 conservation areas and four local nature reserves together with five natural sites of scientific interest.

A central aim of the consultation, which will cover the District Council's four simple themes of safety, health, sustainability and prosperity, is to include local men and women of all ages and backgrounds including young people. To achieve this, the District Council has produced a statement of community involvement, (known as an SCI), which shows how it will consult with local communities in its preparation of the 2021 plan. The District Council is calling on local people to comment on its approach to consulting the community before the impending deadline.

Councillor Martin Trevett, Three Rivers' portfolio holder for the environment, said:

"Planning affects our day to day lives and it is clear that many local people feel strongly about development issues. Given that Three Rivers is a green and safe place to live, it is only right that people want to protect their communities and the local environment."

"Now we need people's help in developing the long term plan which will lay out how we will protect the environment while ensuring that young people can find homes and that high quality services and amenities can continue to be provided. How we will go about consulting you has been laid out and we need your responses before 5 August to make sure we've got it right."

The District Council will endeavour to consider any comments received after 5 August. Normal rights of consultation and comment on individual planning applications are unaffected.

The draft statement of community involvement can be viewed at here