The last consultation to which the Society responded in 2023 concerned the Town Centre Masterplan, which is to form a key part of the evidence base for the draft Local Plan now hopefully to be published in January 2025, following planned approval by both the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee and then the Full Council, both statutorily necessary. The Draft Local Plan will then be submitted for the required Regulation 19 public consultation before being presented to the Planning Inspectorate for approval in 2025.

The Society supported the Masterplan principles, including environmental aims and baseline aims, and the identification of opportunity sites, character areas, public realm and sustainable transport, but suggested that the draft plan lacked clear building heights limits, prioritisation between opportunity sites and the principle of ‘retro fitting not demolition’ for redevelopments.

Some clarifications were suggested, including how EEBC will achieve its environmental / zero carbon objective, how to engage with and address motorist concerns re improving pedestrian and cycling experience, whither the Town Hall will be relocated and whether that location is appropriate, and similarly where the Bus layby will be moved to post implementation of the opportunity site scheme.

The Society also commented on aspects of the structure and content of the document, together with some topics which were not addressed, namely any aim to improve air quality in the Town Centre, and the completion and inclusion of the 2023 project to expand the number of Locally Listed buildings, into which the Society had contributed a significant number of suggestions, so that the location of all such buildings in the Town Centre could be clearly identified in the Masterplan.

The Summary Table of the Society’s response can be seen here, and its full response here.