Consultation to start on Bridgnorth town plan
A working group's plan for future development in Bridgnorth will go out for consultation.
The Bridgnorth Plan Steering Group will hold a number of meetings and run an online survey on its town plan for future investment until February 2020.
The document, last created in 2011, will aim to outline a future vision for Bridgnorth, focusing on its room for expansion and infrastructure needed to do so.
Bridgnorth Town Council discussed the plans at a meeting last night where it was set to approve a draft submission to contribute towards the consultation.
Made up of councillors and residents of Bridgnorth and its surrounding parishes, the steering group formed earlier this year to make a town plan to feed into Shropshire Council's Local Plan Review.
The consultation document set to go out to residents states three phases before its completion.
Phase one states: "Production of this Consultation Document, which summarise the main issues facing the town and potential solutions, and will form the basis for consultation."
Phase two states: "Consultation with residents and local businesses. This will be through a combination of community meetings and an online survey.
"This will provide information to allow organisations and individuals to respond to stage four of Shropshire Council's Local Plan Review."
The final phase outlines the completion of the plan during 2020.
Concerns have been raised about the legal weight the document holds, which could be overlooked by Shropshire Council when it submits its draft Local Plan Review in March.
But the consultation document outlines the potential of developing it into a Neighbourhood Plan, which Shropshire Council would then have to consider.
Chairman of the steering group, Morfe ward representative Councillor Clive Dyson, previously said a Neighbourhood Plan could cost up to £50,000.
He said: "If such a document were voted on and accepted by residents and a planning examiner, it would achieve formal status of Neighbourhood Plan, which would have the same status as the Local Plan.
“However, this would incur significant costs, possibly £40k to £50k, although grants would be available.”
