Stonnall Scoops £20,000 Government Funding
Minister for Decentralisation Rt.Hon. Greg Clark MP (centre) receives the Stonnall Draft Strategy from Cllr David Smith (right) and local MP Chris Pincher
Cllr David Smith and the residents of Stonnall are celebrating winning £20,000 of Government funding to be spent on developing the current local plan for Stonnall.
In June 2011, a public meeting in Stonnall was attended by over 100 residents. 10 challenges were set and from this formed a working group of 16. In January of this year, the group reported back through the village newsletter explaining the strategy, which was subsequently endorsed by 90 residents who turned out to a further meeting.
Cllr David Smith said, “Of the 10 challenges, some are short-term early wins, some will take time and others will run for 10 years. An easy win is to create a tree lined Jubilee Walk for which we now have sponsorship. The challenge to address the shortage of trees by setting a target to plant a tree for every resident is progressing well.
“Our “Neighbourhood Watch” team successfully introduced a joint scheme with the police to make the village one of the first to be protected by “Smartwater” the invisible liquid that identifies house contents. Support was also unanimous for our carbon reduction plan and we are looking to reduce energy bills with new insulation and solar panels at the Village Hall and also to reduce energy consumption at our second hall and the Church.
“Longer term, we are exploring a new concept for how we can reverse the decline in village shops. Our transport and highway strategy to improve bus services and reduce rat running through the village will take time.”
Cllr Smith continued, “We put to residents the District Council’s Needs Analysis that identifies the shortage of affordable homes and sheltered accommodation and there was unanimous agreement that we should look for suitable sites within the village curtilage. At Greg Clark’s suggestion, we successfully submitted a bid for assistance with funding under the Wave 5 of the neighbourhood planning front-runners opportunity and have and have been awarded £20,000.”
The spirit of the Act calls for local members of the planning authority to become community leaders on planning issues and the need to avoid a community plan just being placed on the shelf not to re-emerge. The impact of the Localism Act and the power that passes to local members has not yet been fully realised and there must be recognition that to deliver the Bill there will need to be a redistribution of power within the Leader and Cabinet structure that frees up Councils to deliver services in a better way.
After all, this power is in the Act and it is up to all members to use it or lose it.
