RESIDENTS in Thornbury are being encouraged to have their say on a plan that will reflect the needs of the town and give more control in development.

The neighbourhood plan for Thornbury, which will shape the future of the town for the next 20 years, will look at where new homes, schools and businesses should be built, how they should look and what services are needed to support them.

The neighbourhood plan is a document that is developed by the community and, while it cannot block developments that have already been allocated, once adopted, it has real legal weight and must be considered by the local planning authority when deciding planning applications.

For the plan to be a success it requires residents to think about how they would like Thornbury to grow and develop. Without a plan in place, the town will have no control over the location or type of new developments and how they relate to the existing community.   

Over the coming months there will be a number of events in the Thornbury area to give people an opportunity to provide feedback to the neighbourhood plan steering group, which people can still join.

Tricia Hillier, chairman of the neighbourhood plan steering group, said: “Thornbury has always been a special place with a kind and welcoming community and a lovely environment.

“We want to make sure that as the town grows and develops we keep this community spirit and identity while maintaining and improving our environment.

“That is why it is so important that we gather as many views as we can from local people on how we can achieve this to make sure that the plan we develop is one that has our community’s wishes at its heart.

“We ask everyone to think about this most important of issues that will affect them and their families for generations.”

Thornbury mayor, Cllr Helen Harrison, said: “The town council is keen to ensure that Thornbury develops in a way that best meets the needs and aspirations of the community in order for it to continue to thrive for the next 20 years.

“We know that there has been some concern raised about the level and pace of new developments and how they impact upon us all and this plan will help us to influence and shape how new development happens and to address these concerns.”

Further information about the process, ways to have your say and consultation events are available from the plan’s new Facebook page www.facebook.com/thornburyneighbourhoodplan/.

For further information on joining the steering group or one of its working groups, call 01454 412103 or email info@thornburytowncouncil.gov.uk.