2015 will see a new phase of work on the WNP – and we seem to have caught the bug of planning-speak with yet more acronyms appearing! Hard to avoid when full titles are such a mouthful.
LURD was the Land Use and Residential Development working group; LUZ is the Land Use and Zoning working group. What’s the difference?
LURD was one of eight working groups we formed last year to look at all the areas identified in the residents survey. These groups reported back to the Steering Group and their reports formed the basis of the public consultation we held in November 2014. The consultation results in turn formed the basis of a set of principles (Site Allocation Criteria) that the steering group felt would reflect the views expressed by the community about what could, and what should not happen in any development in Wivenhoe.
The old working groups have now finished their work and three new ones are being formed: Land Use and Zoning WG, Community Engagement and Consultation WG, and Policy Writing WG. Each of them is open to any Wivenhoe resident to join – and all would appreciate new members and fresh views!
Using the Site Allocation Criteria, LUZ will examine any and all parcels of land put forward for development by landowners and score their suitability for development against these criteria. Subsequently LUZ will also identify the type of development that could go there – or not.
All this will happen against the background of Colchester and Tendring plans and in these Wivenhoe has been earmarked for ‘proportional growth’. What that means in terms of numbers of new houses has not been set out but the LURD has calculated that there could be a demand for 450 new dwellings in Wivenhoe (and this has not been denied by CBC).
The Steering Group knows that residents would find this an unacceptably large number but has to accept that the WNP cannot validly say NO to any development of this nature. The LURD had calculated that maximum 230 new dwellings might be a possibility. Such a reduction in estimated demand will need to be carefully evidenced and it is this work that the new LUZ will be doing.
The group would welcome more residents to join.
IT’S YOUR TOWN; by joining you can help decide what Wivenhoe gets to look like.