Wish list to help town is on the cards
By Jo Deeks on Thursday, 15th February 2001.
A SHOPPING list of community facilities needed in Haverhill should be prepared by planners to absorb population growth spilling over from Cambridgeshire.
David Spencer, of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, was given this message by members of the Haverhill Partnership Group after he told them a new Local Plan for the district should be available by next year.
Mr Spencer said more than 4,500 comments had been received on last year's report raising issues about what development should take place and where it should go. These comments would be used to produce the final plan.
Partnership chairman Gerry Kiernan said he was hopeful that developers' contributions would be required by planners towards the cost of providing facilities for the town.
"If we are going for expansion, developer contribution has got to be a major part of the process," Mr Kiernan said.
Mr Spencer said such contributions money paid for housing developers to pay for roads or swimming pools had to be justified to establish there was a need for them due to extra homes.
Gordon Mussett, Haverhill Town Clerk, said a shopping list should be prepared of what was needed and a pool of money set up towards paying for it.
"It should also include expansion of existing facilities such as our swimming pool and Arts Centre," Mr Mussett said.
Lesley Mason, a community education worker for Haverhill, said an overall development plan was needed for the town so that expansion was not just piecemeal.
David Spencer, of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, was given this message by members of the Haverhill Partnership Group after he told them a new Local Plan for the district should be available by next year.
Mr Spencer said more than 4,500 comments had been received on last year's report raising issues about what development should take place and where it should go. These comments would be used to produce the final plan.
Partnership chairman Gerry Kiernan said he was hopeful that developers' contributions would be required by planners towards the cost of providing facilities for the town.
"If we are going for expansion, developer contribution has got to be a major part of the process," Mr Kiernan said.
Mr Spencer said such contributions money paid for housing developers to pay for roads or swimming pools had to be justified to establish there was a need for them due to extra homes.
Gordon Mussett, Haverhill Town Clerk, said a shopping list should be prepared of what was needed and a pool of money set up towards paying for it.
"It should also include expansion of existing facilities such as our swimming pool and Arts Centre," Mr Mussett said.
Lesley Mason, a community education worker for Haverhill, said an overall development plan was needed for the town so that expansion was not just piecemeal.
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