Southend Council is running public consultations on its two crucial planning documents, the Southend Central Area Action Plan and the Development Management Policies.
The policies go on to become part of the statutory Local Development Framework for the Southend Borough, which is then used to assess planning applications.
The Central Area Action Plan determines the approach to planned growth and regeneration in the town centre, whilst the Development Management consultation document will consider the policies that could be used to determine planning applications.
The new documents will replaces the current Borough Local Plan, which dates from the mid-1990s.
Executive Councillor for Transport and Planning Mark Flewitt, said: “The current fragile economic situation is having a direct impact on public and private investment decisions.
“These decisions can, in turn, affect the delivery of new houses, employment opportunities and infrastructure schemes in the Borough.
“However, the Council is committed to providing a flexible and effective Planning Framework to guide development decisions so they meet the needs and aspiration of local people and the business community.
“This means planning for the longer term now so we are ready for when the economy recovers.
“We all care about our physical environment and all the complex issues that make this up.
“Here is an opportunity to discuss how our environment should be shaped into the future.”
The Council has invited residents to give their views on these documents. Residents can view the documents here http://www.southend.gov.uk/tellus, or view the documents in Southend’s libraries or at the Civic Centre on Victoria Avenue.
The consultation runs until 5pm on Monday 9th August.
