Where are we to date? Here's the latest as at July 2023:

The Regulation 14 Consultation took place in the Spring of this year – 2023.  It was necessary for us to send

our policies and a link to the main Neighbourhood Plan to a number of statutory consultees as well as to residents.

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Once the Steering Group had received responses they went into action to consider what amendments, if any, were needed. The East Herts Council Planning Officer, Laura Guy, attended a meeting with members of the Steering Group and many of her points about the plan were further explained in more detail – for instance East Herts Council is not participating in the First Homes Scheme therefore it could not be in the policy for housing.

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The Planning Officer at Lea Valley Regional Park also participated in a meeting with representatives of the Steering Group and reiterated her comment about the impressiveness of the document which demonstrated what a huge amount of work had been done on the Plan.  She took photographs of the site at Netherfield Lane and was reassured that the development would need just a few of the existing trees to be removed and that the plans currently suggested would not include houses on the more elevated section of the site, as there were to be green buffers around the homes.

 

There are many comments to consider – some are repeated and the sub-committee which is looking at them will be producing a Q&A article very soon.

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We still aim to have it all presented to East Herts during the Autumn but it is unlikely now that the referendum will take place this year.

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Julia Davies,

Chair of the Steering Group Stanstead Abbotts and St Margaret's Neighbourhood Plan