Biggleswade Town Plan Background
In 2000 the Government published the Rural White Paper to set out their vision for the countryside and rural areas. This vision included setting up a process to enable people to become fully involved in developing their own community and to give them the opportunity to shape the decisions that affect them.
In response to this, in July 2001, the Countryside Agency commenced the Parish and Town Plan initiative.
Community planning has been around for many years. Parish and Town Plans have evolved from previous work such as Village Appraisals, Design Statements and Market Town Health Checks.
Town Plans provide valuable information that can be used to inform the development of the Sustainable Community Strategy, the Local Development Framework, local planning decisions and negotiation of Section 106 Agreements.
A Town Plan is a document outlining what the community sees happening over the next few years. It is an opportunity for the whole community to voice their opinion on what action they wish to see taken in their local area. It may include everything that is relevant to the people who live and work in the community. It can include any social, environmental or economic issues.
- involves and includes everyone in the town;
- maps out services and facilities already in the community;
- looks at if these are currently meeting everyone's needs and are being used to their full potential;
- discovers what issues and opportunities people feel need addressing;
- sets out an achievable and long term vision for the future as a realistic and achievable action plan; and
- will inform and influence a large range of organisations who provide services to the community.
Who produces the plan?
A group of volunteers from the town have come forward to form the Biggleswade Town Plan Steering Group. The group also incorporates a couple of members of the Town Council and is supported by the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity.
The objective of the Steering Group is to identify, through consultation, the views held by residents and incorporate these into the Town Plan document.
Any resident in the town may join the group and their help will be welcomed. Click on the "Offer of Help" link above, contact the Steering Group chairman whose details may be found on the Contacts page.
Events to date (most recent first):
- 5th July - Steering Group Meeting
- 15th June - Steering Group Action Plan Meeting
- 10th June - Steering Group Action Plan Meeting - Minor Revisions to the Action Plan Tables
- 1st June - Town Council Action Plan Meeting presented by BRCC
- 10th May - Steering Group Meeting
- 12th April - Steering Group Meeting
- 1st March - Steering Group Meeting
- 1st February - Steering Group Meeting
- 4th January 2010 - Steering Group Meeting
- 23rd November - Steering Group Meeting
- 12th October - Steering Group Meeting
- 7th September - Steering Group Meeting
- 18th August - Steering Group Meeting
- 21st July - Steering Group Meeting
- 22nd June - Steering Group Meeting
- 19th May - Steering Group Meeting
- 21st April - Steering Group Meeting
- 11th and 15th April - We held two 'Planning for Real' events for all to come and participate
- 4th April - We had a stall on Biggleswade Market - it was great to talk so many people, thanks for your input.
- 31st March - We were talking to people at Biggleswade railway station early in the morning
- 29th March - We met with members of the Biggleswade and District United Services Association
- 25 March - We met people in the Asda supermarket.
- 16th March - Steering Group meeting
- 5th March - We joined in with The Green Infrastructure Plan drop-in
- 24th February - We met with the Ivel Rangers
- 17th February - Steering Group meeting
- 20th January 2009 - Steering Group meeting
- 15 December - Steering Group meeting
- 13 November - The R.A.V.E bus visited Stratton Upper School
- 10th November - Steering Group meeting (no minutes printed)
- 13th October - Steering Group meeting.
- 30th September - Steering Group meeting.
- 20 September - Exhibition and active information gathering at St Andrew's Country Fayre.
- 16 September - Steering Group meeting.
- 19 August - Steering Group meeting.
- 29 July - 1st Steering Group meeting.
- 27 June 2008 - 1st Town Plan public open meeting for the BRCC to present the objective and seek preliminary views.
