Latest news with #publicconsultation
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Views sought in Dormansland on new plan to influence development
People living in a Surrey village have been offered the chance to give their views on a document that will influence future planning Dormansland Neighbourhood Plan is being put together by the village's parish council and Tandridge District Council.A public consultation opened on 18 July and will run until 26 plan will be part of the criteria by which future planning applications are judged. The parish council said it wants the village to retain its distinctive character, with new homes built to meet local needs, such as for young families or older people who wish to also wants to encourage cycling and walking, and support and increase local draft plan can be seen here.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong must treasure the natural assets that help make it special
Hong Kong is well-known as a busy and bustling metropolis, with crowded streets, congested roads and tightly-packed skyscrapers. The city's amazing biodiversity, including many endangered species, is not widely appreciated. But flora and fauna is an integral part of what makes Hong Kong special. The city boasts more than 50 types of land-based mammal, over 130 dragonfly species, and 240 kinds of butterfly. There are 580 bird species, 1,000 types of marine fish and 3,300 species of vascular plants. It is imperative that these assets are preserved and able to flourish. Sadly, many are under threat. A two-month public consultation on the updating of Hong Kong's Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan concluded this month. The plan, required by an international convention, was introduced in 2016. The review is a chance to make biodiversity a top priority for all sectors, public and private, and instil a love of nature in the community. Four action areas are highlighted in the document: nature conservation, mainstreaming, capacity building and collaborative partnering. But the most important part is the 10 questions posed to the public at the end. These are broad and open-ended, essentially asking what Hong Kong's vision should be for nature conservation and how to realise it. The government should be very receptive to submissions that can take the strategy to a new level. Think-tank Civic Exchange, in a compelling submission, argues that nature should be integrated into decision-making across public and private sectors, with Hong Kong making an active contribution to the world's efforts to reverse biodiversity loss, becoming a regional leader in the field. It advocates the establishment of a central hub for 'nature-based solutions'.
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Two thirds of public don't want Norfolk and Suffolk mayor
A large number of people in Norfolk and Suffolk are yet to be convinced about the benefits of an elected mayor for the two two thirds of respondents to a government consultation felt a directly elected mayor would not benefit the area or improve the economy or local government wants to hold elections next year to choose the mayor who would oversee infrastructure, housing and transport and be a voice for the two counties in regular meetings with argues that the mayor would give local people rather than Whitehall more of a say over services and investment which Norfolk and Suffolk needs, and wants to see mayors in every part of the country. A total of 3,115 responses were received during the eight-week consultation, with about 3,000 from individuals. Local councils, academic institutions, businesses and voluntary organisations also took the main question 'would a mayoral combined county authority deliver benefits to the area?', the two county councils and a majority of district councils along with elected representatives and local organisations agreed. But 65% of the public were similar responses to the other six questions, with 61% of the public saying a mayor would not improve the local economy, 64% saying he or she would not improve social outcomes and/or local government services (67%).A total of 59% do not expect a mayor to improve the local natural environment nor support the interests and needs of local communities or reflect local identities (71%), and 65% were not happy with the proposed governance opposed to the plans were worried about a lack of local representation and that rural and smaller communities could be ignored. There are also concerns about the cost of setting up the new authority and its in favour like the idea of giving more powers to local leaders and believe the mayor would improve economic growth and strategic is worth noting that this was not a scientific survey of public opinion. People could choose whether to respond to the consultation and it is possible that there are more people in favour of devolution than this consultation suggests. 'We must rewire the country' In its response, the government says "for strategic decisions to drive growth, we need strong institutions at the right scale".It points out that Norfolk and Suffolk already has a shared police force and fire service and that many public services are also delivered across large areas of the region."To truly get growth in every corner of the country and put more money into people's pockets, we must rewire England and end the hoarding in Whitehall by devolving power and money from central government to those that know their area best," it government adds that it will continue to work with the two county councils to establish the mayoral authority and if they continue to support the plans, Parliament will be asked to approve the mayoral elections to take place next from these responses it looks as if the main councils in Norfolk and Suffolk are still in favour of a directly elected mayor. But a lot of work may be needed to win over the wider public.
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Diocese to decide future of 1000-year-old Billingham church
A Church of England diocese is set to make a decision about whether to hold a public consultation over the future of a 1,000-year-old parish applied to close St Cuthbert's Church last year due to rising costs and falling of St Cuthbert's community group believe they have put forward a viable business plan to take ownership and continue using the building, with secretary Charles Wellington saying closing it would face "massive local opposition".A decision to hold an open consultation or not is to be announced by the Bishop's Council of the Diocese of Durham on Monday. A spokesperson said "no decisions about the future use" of the church had been made. Mr Wellington continued: "St Cuthbert's is more than 1,000 years old and is an object of pride and great regard for the people of the area."Completely closing this wonderful building would run into massive local opposition." 'Strong views' The diocese spokesperson said the Friends of St Cuthbert's Church's correspondence indicated they did "not oppose the closure of the church for regular worship, but have strong views upon the potential future use of the church". "Should the Bishop's Council decide to open consultation, the Friends of St Cuthbert's Church will have the opportunity to participate in that consultation and at this stage no decisions about the future use of the St Cuthbert's Billingham have been made, nor will such decisions be made by the meeting of Bishop's Council."If the community group's plan is eventually accepted, the parish would close the church before immediately transferring it to the community group, acting in its capacity as a charitable community Friends of St Cuthbert's Church already offers a range of community activities at the church from concerts to exhibitions, displays and nature walks, alongside traditional services."Our business plan is 100% viable and will allow the church to continue as the heart of the town, providing heritage, culture and entertainment for the whole community," Mr Wellington group hopes to apply for heritage funding to secure the long-term future of the church. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
11-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Revised York Castle car park redevelopment plans submitted
Revised plans to upgrade the area around Clifford's Tower in York have been submitted for Castle Gateway scheme covers the Eye of York area where the River Foss meets the River project, which has been amended in order to cut costs, would now include a new park, play areas and 30 Blue Badge parking bays instead of a paved event to close Castle Car Park will be put before senior councillors later in the year and Pete Kilbane, deputy leader of the authority, said: "We are working to transform this area from a car park to a people park." The revised plans are based on responses to a public consultation that took place last consultants BDP said they had focused on accessibility, heritage and maintenance when drawing up the new said: "Our proposals include new play areas for families, something people have been asking for more of in the city centre, and green open space for people to relax and take some time out." The council said the revised proposals aimed to make the scheme more affordable so that it could still be January councillors were told the first phase of the scheme would cost an estimated £3.5 Foale, the council's city development lead at the time, said the cost of plans for the scheme approved in 2020 would now be close to £16m, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Katie Lomas, the council's Labour finance and major projects spokesperson, said submission of the planning application was an "important step forward for the scheme"."These plans seek to create a versatile public space where people of all ages want to spend time, making it greener and more accessible, as well as more affordable and deliverable, when compared to previous plans," she said. A planned multi-storey car park at St George's Fields is no longer set to go ahead, though improvements to existing facilities are still being revised Castle Gateway proposals are set to go before the council's executive in September and a decision will be made separately on the planning application. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
