As Chair of the Kingsmead Neighbourhood Plan (KNP) I am extremely excited to announce that we have just received news that the KNP Regulation 16 submission has just been accepted by East Herts District Council as meeting the requirement for Regulation 16 submission.
So, big thank you to everyone that has helped us to get to this point! You know who you are! Those that delivered leaflets/surveys and all the other bits and pieces during a global pandemic; those who sat through long working party meetings, slaved over drafts of policies and the rest of the plans, researched information to support the policies in the plan. Those that proof read, edited and suggested amendments. Those that learnt how to draw maps on a new bit of software (we had no mapmakers at the outset) and produced all the maps to include the plan. The photographers that let us use their work. Everyone that feedback opinions, added in information and chatted at formal consultations and also by hailing the chair and discussing issues in and around Kingsmead. Thank you everyone for the hard graft to date and thank you to Kingsmead Residents Association for taking forward the actions in our Action Plan with some actions already complete.
Thank you thank you thank you one and all.
What's Next?
So, once the Regulation 16 consultation has been completed the KNP will be submitted to and Independent Examiner for review (probably after a few tweaks). Once reviewed and passed by the examiner (probably after a few more tweaks) it will then be subject to a referendum where every adult in Kingsmead can vote. Assuming it gets a majority (ie over 50%) voting yes then it is passed and becomes part of the planning regulations for Kingsmead.
So, what did people and organisations say on Regulation 14?
The file with all the feedback along with the changes that have been made as a result can be downloaded below
Ok, so where's the plan then?
While all of the plan is important it is a long document so please make sure you read the policies (all in green boxes) and also the Action Plan (in the appendices) as these are the most important sections. Kingsmead Residents Association have been working on implementing various of the actions from the Action Plan with assistance from local councillors, the Herts and Middx Wildlife Trust and others, but it is over 70 items long so they do have their work cut out!
There is still work going on in the background to research and track down particularly elusive bits of information but all of our main sources have been found, read and implemented. Supporting information for the plan can all be found at the following URL - just tap on the post and all information and references for the Neighbourhood Plan can be downloaded
https://www.knphertford.org/references
20mph zones are great in theory but are ignored in practice. No one ensures that they are obeyed. Also Parking problems are not solved with introducing parking permit zones. They cause more problems than they resolve as more permits that spaces are issued. They can also cause problems for elderly people who require "home services" due to disabilities, ill health etc. Having spoken to friends on Townsend Street which is in a permit perking zone. they consider it to have caused them more problems than it solved. On top of that, they are now paying for the inconveniences it causes.