Puncknowle and Swyre Parish Council, after due consideration, decided to establish a designated area for the purpose of Neighbourhood Planning in February 2023. They requested that the volunteers involved in the project undertook an assessment of resident interest which culminated in a presentation in May of the same year. The Parish Council deemed this a success and formally established a Steering Group to co- ordinate the preparation of the plan in accordance with the provisions of the Localism Act 2011 and the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations for approval by the Parish Council and eventual submission to the Local Planning Authority.
The Steering Group is an independent body tasked with the development of the plan on behalf of the Parish Council who is the qualifying body, recognised by Dorset Council. The Steering Group adhere to the Terms of Reference agreed by the PC.
The Steering Group is chaired by Brian Bowsher and made up of representatives from each village.
- Puncknowle: Jackie Hunt and Paul Bullen
- Swyre: Sally Bowsher and Tim Ackland
- West Bexington: Ellen Simon and Michèle Vassar
In addition, the SG representatives are supported by Community Champions who assist in specific tasks or events. Technical advice and support is provided by Dr Amy Burnett of Development in Transition (DinT) who is acting as our consultant, funded by Locality.
The Steering Group has several responsibilities. The Steering Group works with the Parish Council throughout the Plan making process, sharing regular discussions and updates. The PC is the qualifying body recognised by Dorset Council that will, througha group of volunteers (the Steering Group) produce the Neighbourhood Plan. The PC’s role is to ensure that the emerging Plan is consistent with the requirements of the Local Planning Authority (LPA) and reflects the views of the community. They will manage the later stages of the Plan once a Draft version has been published, including engagement with the LPA.
They started the process by buiding on the May 2023 community consultation with the aim of maximising support through meetings, drop-in sessions, information campaigns, adverts and publications to ensure high levels of community engagement throughout the plan-making process.
Meeting monthly, the group tracks progress across several working groups focusing on each element of the project. All meetings are public with members of the community encouraged to attend and share their views.