Monthly Archives: September 2014

Volunteer Editor/Writer Required for Haslemere Neighbourhood Plan

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Could this be you or do you have any suggestions as to possible candidates? – Closing Date for applications/nominations October 3rd 2014.

HASLEMERE VISION (https://haslemerevision.org.uk) seeks a talented and experienced Editor/Writer (the Editor) to draft the Neighbourhood Plan which is being developed following widespread consultation of residents, in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 (see below for background). There will be two parts to the Plan: first, an aspirational/vision section which sets the context and, second, the formal plan drawn from policies drafted by specialist teams. It is envisaged that the editor would start work on or before the 1st November 2014. Stages of drafting will be presented to the Steering Group for approval between December 2014 and May 2015. The present aim is to complete the document ready for external examination by the end of July 2015.

The Role The Editor, with a small support team providing required expertise, will be asked to develop a proposal for the structure and contents of the two parts of the Plan and then write it in language appropriate to a planning document, while being comprehensible to a lay readership. The Editor will advise on the design, layout and illustration of the Plan and ultimately will prepare the document for printing. The Editor will be responsible to the Haslemere Vision Steering Group, of which s/he will become a member.

The Person The Steering Group seeks a volunteer from the Haslemere area who has the capability and capacity to take the lead in writing the Neighbourhood Plan. To produce the high quality document envisaged, the Editor will, ideally, have the following skills and attributes:

  • the ability to write good, clear, grammatical English in a style that, where appropriate, can inspire
  • experience of drafting and designing similar documents (see links below) to a timetable, working with a team
  • planning expertise is not essential as volunteer expert advice will be available
    good IT skills
  • impartial and disinterested (not closely identified with any lobby group or other community organisation promoting a specific solution to the issues being addressed)
  • able to attend meetings in Haslemere as required
  • able to start soon, and no later than 1 November 2014

Haslemere Vision seeks an Editor to work as an unpaid volunteer, with expenses reimbursed. This should be a rewarding task and will be a great service to the Haslemere community.

To apply or nominate, please email info@haslemerevision.org.uk, get in touch via Facebook or Twitter right away.

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Background

HASLEMERE VISION (https://haslemerevision.org.uk) is a volunteer community organisation set up, with the support of Haslemere Town Council, to consult the local community and draft a Neighbourhood Plan for the Town in accordance with the Localism Act 2011. The Town Council will submit the Neighbourhood Plan to Waverley Borough Council. Provided it complies with national planning guidelines and is consistent with the Waverley Local Plan, Waverley will put the Neighbourhood Plan to a local referendum. If more than 50% of those voting vote in favour of the plan then the policies it proposes will have legal force.

A two- part plan is envisaged. The first, “A Vision for Haslemere”, will not be put to referendum but will set the context for the plan itself by setting out a vision for Haslemere in 15 to 20 years’ time. The second part – the formal “Neighbourhood Plan” (as defined by the act) – will set out policies, relating to land use and development in the area. These will be designed to influence future development of Haslemere in ways consistent with the community’s vision and preferences. This document will be put to a referendum and, if successful, become part of local planning law. For examples of other successful neighbourhood plans, have a look at Thame at www.southoxon.gov.uk and Tattenhall in Cheshire at www.tattenhallpc.co.uk

In 2012/13 Haslemere Vision consulted residents about the sort of Haslemere they would like to see in 15 to 20 years’ time and about the issues they consider to be important for its future. A second round of consultation is now under way to test the community’s preferences for alternative possible responses to the key issues identified in the earlier consultation. This second consultation will, itself, be in two stages. Stage1, covering business, economy, townscape, traffic, transport and parking issues, is under way now. Stage 2, covering housing and land use issues, will take place in December 2014 and January 2015. The aim is to complete analysis of the feedback from Stage 1 by mid-September 2014 and of Stage 2 by the mid February 2015. Based on these analyses groups of volunteers will produce first drafts of the relevant policies for inclusion in the plan. These will be passed to the NP editor and her/his team by mid November 2014 for Stage 1 and mid April 2015 for Stage 2. The aim is for the first formal draft of the NP to be complete and submitted to HTC by the end of May 2015. Further work will then be required to accommodate any changes agreed with Haslemere Town Council such that the document can be printed, ready for external examination, by the end of July 2015.

The time has now come to start to plan and organise the drafting and production of the two parts of the final document and we are seeking an editor/writer to lead this process.