In the Spring Axminster Town Council began the process of producing a Neighbourhood Plan, enabling local people to set out a positive vision to guide how our community develops over the next 10 - 15 years, in ways that meet identified local needs. The words “identified local needs” are important, since to be sustainable, the Plan must take the views of the community fully into consideration.
An important early step is an initial consultation, to ensure that objectives set by the Plan reflect community needs, wants and desires. We are therefore asking residents of both the town and surrounding areas, as well as non-residents who work in Axminster - and even visitors and those just passing through, if they wish - to fill in a short questionnaire. This should only take about five minutes to complete, and from this initial feedback, the group will be able to focus on the key issues, and to develop a robust Plan which responds to them.
The final Plan will take around two years to produce, and to ensure that this is achieved, Axminster Town Council has established a steering group, made up of councillors and residents. Once adopted, the Plan will form an important element of the Town & Country Planning process (which governs all changes which require planning permission).
There may be follow-on surveys, and there will certainly be consultation events and conversations, that will focus on specific topics.
You can access the survey in a number of ways: