Ripley Neighbourhood Plan Consultation 2023
Ripley Neighbourhood Plan 2014-2028
The Neighbourhood Plan articulates a clear and distinctive vision for how the town of Ripley will grow and develop up to 2028. Ripley Town Council has managed the process and is keen to develop a vision for Ripley. This objective has shaped the development of the Neighbourhood Plan. Together, the vision and objectives form the basis of the Ripley Neighbourhood Plan (The Plan).
Timeline of progress
*March 2022 update*
We have started the public consultation of the updated Ripley Neighbourhood Plan. The current Ripley Neighbourhood Plan (RNP) ‘runs out’ in 2028 but it is proposed that it is updated in a few areas - we hope to improve the environmental (and some other) planning requirements.
The Consultation ends on 4th May 2022.
*March 2021 update
We are reviewing the Neighbourhood Plan. The original plan, adopted in 2014 was designed to articulate a clear and distinctive vision for how the town of Ripley will grow and develop up to 2028. At that time there was no Core Strategy of Amber Valley Borough Council, and a subsequent draft that rejected by Amber Valley Borough Council in 2019. This does mean that any planning decision for the Township of Ripley has to be taken with the Neighbourhood Plan at the forefront of the process.
We are now reviewing the Plan to include more up-to-date requirements for building and industrial land.
An example of our influence is the use of greenbelt land. The rejected Local Plan had seven sites in Ripley that would be removed from greenbelt. The Planning Committee of the Town Council has been consistent in using the Neighbourhood Plan to resist building on these sites and has campaigned for the new Strategy from Amber Valley Borough Council not to include any greenbelt sites as building land.
The revised Neighbourhood Plan will be available in 2022.
*July 2020 update*
Amber Valley Borough Council have received advice that a Strategic Environment Assessment will be needed and that all the Statutory Consultees have been contacted. We anticipate answers back in coming weeks to report at the September 2020 meeting of Ripley Town Council.
*July 2019 update*
We are currently updating our Neighbourhood Plan and are asking our local community for their comments.
*May 2020 update*
The Ripley Neighbourhood Plan (the Plan) has never been more important because without it, developers would have a relatively ‘free hand’ in the Township.
Amber Valley Borough Council (AVBC) has no Local Plan in place which you might think would automatically put the Plan to the forefront. But the Government have stated the Plan counts for nothing if AVBC cannot show a “five-year supply” of housing numbers. This would mean that developers would have a free hand to do what they wanted, where they wanted whether green belt or not.
Having suffered planning permissions in the green belt, fortunately for the Township, in May last year AVBC changed the way they calculated the five-year supply and found they really had one. This suddenly protected green belt and promoted the importance of the Plan. The Plan is due to run until 2028 but amendments can be made to it now.
So, Ripley Town Council is taking the chance to update it and the main changes are to do with requiring a much more environmentally friendly approach. For example, in addition to using recycled materials where possible, the amended Plan will require measures such as:
Use of permeable paving
Re-use of ‘grey water’
Installation of solar panels
Installation of ground source heating (on larger developments)
Provision of charging points for electric vehicles.
Ripley Town Council has already consulted on these changes and we received over-whelming support for them from our communities. We are now waiting to find out if the proposed changes will need a further referendum or not. We will let you know if we do.
*December 2019 update*
We have redrafted The Plan based on the comments we received during the consultation period from the community and statutory undertakers. On 26th November 2019, Ripley Town Council resolved, 'To accept and agree to submit the revised Neighbourhood Plan to Amber Valley Borough Council in compliance with the National Planning Policy Framework'.
Amber Valley Borough Council will appoint an examiner to look at the proposals and check to see if they meet all the regulatory requirements then produce a report.