We closed the petition to re-instate the urban village this evening, with an astonishing 315 names – so thank you, all 315 of you!
We closed it simply because it was time; it had served its purpose. Many of you were aware that the proposed Central Lincolnshire Local Plan was undergoing it’s final round of consultations – not on any new ideas and issues, but only on suggested major modifications to the draft, following the earlier rounds – and it became clear to us that we had to link the presentation of that petition to that schedule.
And so we did. And we also played a new card, offering it not only to the addressed councils, but also to the Planning Inspector who, from 5pm tonight (Monday) when the consultation period closed, is the only person with the authority to introduce totally new elements to the proposed Plan. And to cover ourselves, we also undertook a last minute re-write presenting our case within the context of those suggested modifications, to add further relevance to our case.
Will it work, and give us back our Urban Village status with the lower category of permitted industry? Too early to tell. But we’ve certainly had our voices heard where they needed to be heard, and we’ve made a few important points. It’s hard to think what else we could have done, and we’ll let you know what happens next.
Meanwhile, there have been unsung heros out there! You know who you are. People who decided on their own initiative, and at their own expense, to print and deliver leaflets about the petition, and to persuade others to do the same; still others who went knocking on doors to persuade neighbours to sign up. There’s no doubt that without you, we wouldn’t have reached that remarkable figure of 315, in just ten days. Thank you so much.
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