Have your say on Melton's future by attending drop-in public consultation events on draft Local Plan

The blueprint for the Melton borough considers where 6,125 new homes should be built over the next 20 years as well as considering employment land, transport infrastructure including an outer relief road for Melton, and other key improvements needed to support future growth.

A 12-week public consultation on the draft Local Plan was launched on January 11.

A series of public consultation events has also been running comprising of a small exhibition and with planning officers available to answer questions and provide more information about the plan and how you can give your views.

The next public consultation events are taking place on the following dates/times and at the following locations:

Tuesday, February 9 (10am to 7.30pm) - Melton Council’s Parkside offices, Burton Street, Melton

Wednesday, February 10 (2pm to 7.30pm) - Waltham Village Hall, Waltham-on-the-Wolds

Thursday, February 11 (6pm to 7.30pm) - Stathern Village Hall, Stathern

Tuesday, February 23 (2.30pm to 7pm) - Old School Hall, Bottesford

Wednesday, February 24 (2pm to 7pm) - Somerby Memorial Hall, Somerby

The consultation gives people the chance to have their say on the preferred development strategy, draft policies and potential development site options which would guide the borough’s growth over the plan period (2011-2036).

It’s anticipated the final version of the plan will be prepared and published in the late summer of 2016, having taken comments submitted during the draft Local Plan consultation into account. There will then be a further six weeks of public consultation on the final ‘publication version’ of the plan before it is submitted for external examination by an independent planning inspector.

It’s expected the Local Plan will be adopted by Melton Council by the summer of 2017.

Copies of the Local Plan and all the supporting evidence is available for inspection at the council’s Parkside offices in Melton and on the council’s Local Plan web page www.meltonplan.co.uk

Copies of the plan are also available in the Melton and Bottesford libraries and at a number of community venues across the borough.

The council has continued to engage with residents, businesses and community groups since work began on the new Local Plan in 2013. Reference groups were established in 2013 and have since met numerous times to consider different elements of the evidence base and be actively involved in steering the direction of the plan on addressing key issues.

The reference groups comprise in excess of 100 local residents who have assisted in the development plan at every stage and will meet again during the consultation period. After the consultation closes the groups will reconvene again to consider the responses and how the plan should changes as a result.