The communities of the Audley Rural Neighbourhood Plan Area have been participating in the recent Business and Householder surveys. This will help to inform the themes and shape the scale of the Audley Rural Neighbourhood Plan (ARNP).

A group of local volunteer residents, called the ARNP Steering Group, have been working with local stakeholders and experts to build the evidence base to support the draft policies in our Plan. Some of the work completed so far includes building a database of non-designated heritage assets across the Parish and identifying Local Green Spaces to take forward to public consultation.

The group have also had technical support to create a Design Code for the area which will identify the special landscape, built features and characteristics that should be protected and promoted across the neighbourhood area. Most recently we have had a Housing Need Assessment to help us understand what level of growth is needed for our rural Parish over the next 10-20 years. This includes the type and mix of homes our community needs.

Next steps for the Steering Group will be to review all of the survey responses in full and feed these into the development of the Plan. Thank you to the 949 households and 26 businesses that participated. We are also carrying out a Green Belt review study specifically for the neighbourhood area. The Green Belt review may be used by the Steering Group to influence the development sites put forward by Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council for the Local Plan. This piece of work is funded by Staffordshire County Council to help inform the asset management of publicly owned land and infrastructure plans for the Parish. This will be prepared by planning and technical advisors Urban Vision who are supporting the Steering Group to draft the ARNP. During May 2022 they will be touring the Parish to look at the villages and surrounding green belt.

We are committed to working with local people to create a neighbourhood plan that reflects the needs of our Parish, now and in the future.

To keep up to date with progress, volunteer or view the evidence base please keep this website bookmarked.

Audley Rural Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group