The Member of Parliament for Eastleigh, Mims Davies, has urged her constituents to make sure that their voice is heard over the local council’s delayed Local Plan after Eastleigh Borough Council were forced into launching a new six-week consultation on over forty sites proposed for development across the Borough within the proposed Local Plan. The consultation comes after Eastleigh Borough Council was reprimanded by the Independent Planning Inspectorate in March for failing to properly consult on the proposed sites.
The new consultation has already faced criticism after residents were unable to complete the consultation online, while the form on the website provided no details of where it should be sent once completed.
Commenting, Eastleigh MP Mims Davies said:
“Together with many across our community I was disappointed albeit not surprised when the Independent Planning Inspectorates’ examiner raised numerous concerns over Eastleigh Borough Council’s proposed Local Plan, including its failure to properly consult and ensure that residents are aware of the councils’ proposed sites for development.
“This failure on the part of Eastleigh Borough Council does however provide an opportunity for all of us to make our voice heard over the council’s proposals through a new 6-week long consultation! And while this new consultation got off to a bumpy start – with no ability to complete the consultation quickly and easily online! – it does allow us to comment on the ‘soundness’ of the proposed Local Plan, as well as the suitability of the 40 odd sites.
“I would therefore absolutely urge my constituents to respond to this consultation. The form can be found at: https://www.eastleigh.gov.uk/latest-news/local-plan-site-notices and while it is still not possible to complete the form online – making it somewhat harder for many to easily complete…I can’t imagine why! – this is a key opportunity for people across the Eastleigh Borough to make their voices heard!”