Vision 2031 public inquiry - first afternoon
Wednesday, 5th February 2014.
The first afternoon of the public inquiry into Haverhill's Vision 2031 dealt specifically with town centre issues, and local efforts to get some firm directives from the inspector generally failed.
Town clerk Will Austin, on behalf of the town council raised a series of issues including the use of brownfield sites in the town centre, robust actions to secure local centres and community facilities andf to acgieve the aspirations for the town centre contained in the document, a commitment to pedestrianisation of High Street and action to provide a museum.
The Government inspector examining the document said these were all matters of detail which were best left to the new Masterplan which St Edmundsbury Borough Council is currently working on in conjunction with ONE Haverhill.
Mr Austin was seeking specific policies in Vision 2031 which would inform the drawing up of the Masterplan, but borough planning officer Ian Poole said this would be too prescriptive.
Mr Austin said there were concerns about the 'gateways' to the town centre - the alleyways from the car parks - and about the difficulties of establishing the land ownerships of much High Street property.
He stressed the long-running nature of the pedestrianisation debate and said there was a strong view in the town that it should go ahead. He said a recognition of this view should be contained in the document.
Mr Poole said not everyone was in favour of pedestrianisation, particularly the traders and this issue, again, should be addressed through the Masterplan.
Suzanne Buck from Suffolk County Council said they had tried to get a Traffic Regulation Order to achieve pedestrianisation, but there had been objections and it had proved difficult.
On the museum issue Mr Austin said a group was in negotiation over the Old Corn Exchange in Withersfield Road.
The planners agreed that although this building was peripheral to the town centre, it could be included within it for the sake of the Masterplan so, again, it was best dealt with then.
Town clerk Will Austin, on behalf of the town council raised a series of issues including the use of brownfield sites in the town centre, robust actions to secure local centres and community facilities andf to acgieve the aspirations for the town centre contained in the document, a commitment to pedestrianisation of High Street and action to provide a museum.
The Government inspector examining the document said these were all matters of detail which were best left to the new Masterplan which St Edmundsbury Borough Council is currently working on in conjunction with ONE Haverhill.
Mr Austin was seeking specific policies in Vision 2031 which would inform the drawing up of the Masterplan, but borough planning officer Ian Poole said this would be too prescriptive.
Mr Austin said there were concerns about the 'gateways' to the town centre - the alleyways from the car parks - and about the difficulties of establishing the land ownerships of much High Street property.
He stressed the long-running nature of the pedestrianisation debate and said there was a strong view in the town that it should go ahead. He said a recognition of this view should be contained in the document.
Mr Poole said not everyone was in favour of pedestrianisation, particularly the traders and this issue, again, should be addressed through the Masterplan.
Suzanne Buck from Suffolk County Council said they had tried to get a Traffic Regulation Order to achieve pedestrianisation, but there had been objections and it had proved difficult.
On the museum issue Mr Austin said a group was in negotiation over the Old Corn Exchange in Withersfield Road.
The planners agreed that although this building was peripheral to the town centre, it could be included within it for the sake of the Masterplan so, again, it was best dealt with then.
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