A huge thank you to everyone who took part in the Referendum
To recap. Votes cast on 28 September 2023:
YES: 2221
NO: 225
We now look forward to the formal adoption of Ware's Neighbourhood Plan by East Herts District Council at the earliest opportunity.
There's a press release here from Ware Town Council, including some kind words from Mayor Thomas Day.
Again... thank you.
ENVIRONMENT
& GREEN SPACES
"The plan’s environment policies seek to ensure that the multiple benefits of Ware’s green and blue spaces – including their importance in combating pressure on wildlife, habitats, biodiversity and geodiversity and in off-setting the effects of air pollution – are recognised and enhanced..."
TRANSPORT
"Our transport policies seek to enhance walking and cycling along the routes most likely to effect a shift away from the private car for short journeys in and around Ware... Proposals to improve the flow of traffic and pedestrian safety on key roads in the Neighbourhood Plan area will be strongly supported..."
ECONOMICS
& TOWN CENTRE
"At the heart of the draft Plan, there’s a recognition that it must help position Ware as a thriving 21st century market town centre by supporting a sustainable mix of uses, which will encourage footfall throughout the day and into the evening... Mixed-use development proposals will normally be supported..."
HERITAGE
ASSETS
"Our policies seek to ensure that new developments in Ware are well-designed. They should also be in keeping with, and where possible enhance, the existing character of the town... The historic assets that contribute to Ware’s character are an irreplaceable resource and should be conserved..."
HOUSING
"The focus here is to ensure that there’s a range of general housing designed to meet the needs of people in Ware as they age and their requirements change... The emphasis should be on smaller housing situated close to shops and services, principally in Ware town centre."
" A Neighbourhood Plan is written by the local community. That means the people who know and love the area can decide on the type of development they want in the places they want it..."
UPDATE: Easter 2023
Last Autumn, East Herts District Council began its assessment of our Neighbourhood Plan submission document (you can scroll down past our Ware 2 objection post to access details of the public consultation phase). We've now been informed that an independent examination process is underway. Catch up with all the relevant documents on the EHDC site, here.
It's a yes from EHDC!
Ware's Neighbourhood Plan has passed another major milestone. Now we face our last hurdle - a referendum on 28 September. Can we count on your support?
Last month (on 12 July), an independent examiner appointed by East Herts District Council passed our draft plan as excellent - and recommended that it be put before the people of Ware in a referendum.
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More details as we draw closer to the event.
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In the meantime here's a link to the EHDC page when you can read the examiner's report...
... and here, in its full glory, is the plan's Referendum Version. Click or tap to access a pdf. There's a lot to digest here but we hope to offer a user-friendly guide to its salient points over the coming weeks.
WARE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
REFERENDUM
WARE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
REFERENDUM
Ware presents a unique set of planning challenges. It has taken time and careful consideration to craft a set of local planning policies that will safeguard everything we regard as special, while allowing the area to change and develop in response to the needs and demands of modern life...
The Neighbourhood Plan
represents the vision and aspirations of the community. It has been produced by the Ware Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, supported by Ware Town Council, using the views and ideas of those living and working in the town and other stakeholders with an interest in the community.
Referendum
Ware Neighbourhood Plan
Ware is a thriving market town where people value the rural feel, the wealth of amenities and being part of a community that is inclusive and diverse. The Neighbourhood Plan is an opportunity for local people to have control over the future of the town, by actively planning for new sympathetic development and protecting those parts of the town that are important to its character and function...
Jan Stock
Steering Group Chair
Can you help? We'd love a few minutes of your time...
You may have heard a little about what we've been up to. A steering group of local volunteers, with some help from the Town Council, has been developing a Neighbourhood Plan for Ware.
Since the autumn of 2019, we have gone through two preliminary public consultation phases and taken on board the suggestions and comments people made. We have now produced (with the help of a professional adviser) a 100-page Draft Plan… and that Plan has just been given a welcome stamp of approval by Ware Town Council.
To take this to the next stage, we now need your help.
We're asking you to tell us what you think about what we've done so far.
Does the Plan focus on the right things? Are its priorities right? Does its balance of emphasis make sense?
We're circulating paper copy questionnaires... and you can also access one online at web url to be inserted here. We've produced an overview and bite-sized summaries of the Plan's key sections.
We'd be eternally grateful if you could take a few minutes to read these... and give us your feedback.
Having a Neighbourhood Plan in place is important not just for you... but for your friends, your family and all future residents of our town.
The people of Ware have been hugely supportive so far, not least in the roadshow events we held last autumn – for instance as part of the Eco aWare event held at Ware Priory.
Can we count on more of the same? We very much hope so.
Jan Stock Signature Here
wareneighbourhoodplan.com
A line or two of explanatory copy here...
"At the heart of the draft Plan, there’s a recognition that it must help position Ware as a thriving 21st century market town centre by supporting a sustainable mix of uses, which will encourage footfall throughout the day and into the evening... Mixed-use development proposals will normally be supported..."
"Our transport policies seek to enhance walking and cycling along the routes most likely to effect a shift away from the private car for short journeys in and around Ware... Proposals to improve the flow of traffic and pedestrian safety on key roads in the Neighbourhood Plan area will be strongly supported..."
NEWS AND UPDATES
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Latest... We're setting out our stall at the Big Event in Ware on the 7th of November... hope to see you there...
WARE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
Thank you all for your support this year! We made great progress in 2021 – let's hope for even more from 2022
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
A Neighbourhood Plan is written by the local community. That means the people who know and love the area can decide on the type of development they want in the places they want it...
"A Neighbourhood Plan is written by the local community. That means the people who know and love the area can decide on the type of development they want in the places they want it..."
Page still under construction. We're hoping to develop this section of the site as a photo gallery - focusing not (just) on the beautifully crafted images you see on local Facebook groups like "Photos of Hertford and Ware" but on pictures that illustrate the sorts of things that our Neighbourhood Plan might want to legislate against... or preserve.
Day by day, you must see lots of things in town that give you pause for thought. Why not take a picture when you do? Or maybe you already have lots of images like this on your phone.
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Either way, we'd love to see them. As the old cliche has it, a picture paints a thousand words - but it's absolutely true. This might be the most powerful way to get your point across.
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You could post them to our Facebook page or our Twitter feed.
Or you could even email us directly: info@waretowncouncil.gov.uk
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Timeline - the story so far
Second-stage "skeleton draft"
of Plan created.
20 April 2020
Launch of website. Public consultation announced.
19 March 2020
Analysis of questionnaire responses begins.
17 April 2020
First stage of drafting process completed.
8 September 2020
23 March 2020
Questionnaire delivery to Ware's 13000+ homes and businesses. Online survey opens.
4 June 2020
Drafts of policy statements begun.
19 January 2021
Alison Eardley and Chris Bowden appointed as consultants.
Ware should be kept as an identifiable attractive town, which enjoys the peace associated with being part of the countryside, while still contributing to the wider geographical community
The Neighbourhood Plan Vision of Ware to 2033: derived from the views you have expressed in our public consultations
"Ware should be kept as an identifiable attractive town, which enjoys the peace associated with being part of the countryside, while still contributing to the wider geographical community..."
Ware should be kept as an identifiable attractive town, which enjoys the peace associated with being part of the countryside, while still contributing to the wider geographical community
Ware should be kept as an identifiable attractive town, which enjoys the peace associated with being part of the countryside, while still contributing to the wider geographical community
Ware should be kept as an identifiable attractive town, which enjoys the peace associated with being part of the countryside, while still contributing to the wider geographical community
The Neighbourhood Plan Vision of Ware to 2033: derived from the views you have expressed in our public consultations
W
HOUSING
HERITAGE ASSETS
ECONOMICS & TOWN CENTRE
ENVIRONMENT & GREEN SPACE
TRANSPORT
TRANSPORT
ENVIRONMENT & GREEN SPACES
ECONOMICS & TOWN CENTRE
HERITAGE ASSETS
HOUSING
What happens next?
We started the process in late 2019 and hope to finalise the work by 2023
To early 2022
Getting feedback to prepare the Draft Plan
Early 2022
1st round of formal consultation on the Draft Plan
Mid 2022
2nd round of formal consultation on the Plan
Late 2022
Independent examination of the Plan
2023
Public referendum and "making" the Plan
Jan Stock
Steering Group Chair
Neigh
bour
hood
plans
NEIGHBOURING
Neighbourhood Planning Activity in East Herts