Parish Survey

Dear Mileham Resident

Your Parish Council is considering preparing a Neighbourhood Plan for Mileham. A map showing the Neighbourhood Plan Area is on the Maps page. The questionnaire that follows will help us to determine the overall direction of our plan and so it is especially important that you and your household take this opportunity to make your views known. We are covering a wide range of topics so the survey should take about fifteen to twenty minutes to complete.

What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

In 2012 local communities in England received the right to participate in one of the most important and significant powers of local government: namely, the power to establish a Neighbourhood Development Plan that will have equal legal status with the local authority’s Local Plan once it has passed a referendum and been formally approved by the local planning authority. The approved Neighbourhood Plan has legal weight in decision making on planning matters, unlike non-statutory tools such as parish plans. Now, for the very first time you have an opportunity to have a real say in how our local area should develop.

The future of Mileham really is in our hands!

We hope that as many residents as possible will complete a Questionnaire to provide the widest record of opinions.

What Can a Neighbourhood Plan Do for the Village?

A Neighbourhood Plan once approved will enable local people to influence the planning and development of the area in which they live and work. It should:

• Develop a shared vision for the Parish.

• Choose where new homes and other developments may be built.

• Influence the type of development.

• Identify and protect important local green spaces or other treasured assets.

Once approved, our plan will have legal force in setting out what development is acceptable in our Parish and for what reasons. Local authority planners will have to take notice of it. Without a Neighbourhood Plan, we would have little control over any development that takes place. It will also help us to identify the facilities and services that need to be in place to meet the demands of our community.

Our Neighbourhood Plan must comply with Breckland’s Local Plan and the government’s wider policy of sustainable development.

Confidentiality

All responses to this questionnaire will be handled confidentially. The questionnaire has been designed so that all data collated will be anonymous. No information is being collated that can identify to you personally. The data collected in the questionnaire will be analysed to form a picture of the needs, opinions, and concerns of the whole community.

PRIZE DRAW – X local businesses have kindly donated prizes of x y and z. If you would like your name to be entered into a prize draw, please enter your contact details in cut-off Section 10. (This draw is also available when you complete the Questionnaire online). Contact details are NOT part of the questionnaire. They will be handled separately and will not be given out to third parties. [COUNCILLORS SEE SEPARATE COMMENTS. JBB]

How to Complete the Survey

There are 3 ways to complete the survey

1. Online via the Mileham Parish website. This is our preferred method as the website will collate the answers automatically - click the button below to proceed to the survey.

2. Manually on the Paper Form

The form can then be:

• Dropped off at the Post Office {Subject to agreement} or

• Collected from you.

3. Manually with Assistance – A volunteer will happily help you complete the form with you.

Additional copies of the form may be obtained from Donna Secker for as many in your household that want to complete the survey online.