Local Planning


		Why Establish a New Work Group in January 2012 ?
		At our Committee Meeting held in the middle of January 2012, we discussed for the second time how the Oakley Green, Fifield and District Community Association could best represent the interests of Residents, Households and Businesses in Planning matters in our area. After lengthy discussions, The Committee decided to establish a new Work Group entitled “Local Planning” – to run along the same lines as our then 7 existing Work Groups - being inclusive and made up of local Volunteers from across the Community. Through interaction and our OGAFCA Committee, it naturally coordinates its activities with the other existing Work Groups. It also has access to our strong infrastructure which we have built up over the past few years - including Members, Volunteers, Newsletters, Website, regular public General Meetings and AGMs, Distribution Lists and as importantly, contacts with the various local Authorities and Service Providers. But why in January 2012, a couple of years after the establishment of other Work Groups you may be asking? Well, in order to answer this question – first a bit of history ... When we held the very first two Open Events when we launched our efforts way back in March 2008, Planning issues were not prominent. People said in their feedback during the consultations that they liked living in a Rural Area and liked the Village feel – as well as proximity to local Transport Infrastructure and places of Work. But more concerns were raised about, inter alia, Traffic Speed, poor Broadband, Ditches & regular Flooding, the need for more facilities for Children, the lack of Police presence, the condition of our Footpaths, a desire for more Community Spirit and local Events, more local information and a Newsletter – so we initially established 7 Work Groups viz :- Children and Youths - Communications - Community Safety - Environment - Research - Roads & Transport - Social & Recreational. These Groups were formed and developed the questions for the Residents Survey, which was conducted in the Summer of 2008. As we moved further along towards publishing the Community Action Plan in December 2009, we decided to fold the Research Group as each Work Group was now undertaking its own “research”. However, we identified about 70 Local Businesses operating in our area. This led to the formation of the Local Business Work Group in early 2009 and the publication of a Local Business Action Plan in September 2010. But the situation vis a vis Planning changed dramatically with the launch of the Bray Parish Neighbourhood Plan (BPNP) Initiative on March 24, 2011 and the RBWM Local Plan Initiative later in the year. And given the extreme importance of the work of these Initiatives, the OGAFCA Committee decided that the best way to support the effort across all of the (currently 4) Topic Groups of the BPNP and the RBWM Local Plan work was by having a Local Planning Work Group in the Community Association. This was not an easy decision for us, but one we came to after The Residents Association decided not “to be fully integrated” with the The Community Association at the end of 2011. We were disappointed with this stance and still are of the opinion that one Organisation representing the interests of Oakley Green, Fifield and District is the best solution overall for our Community. The Local Planning Work Group is inclusive and thoroughly transparent in its working, as the other Work Groups have been since their inception. And as ever, anyone can join and support in any capacity at any time. We look forward to working with and supporting The Bray Parish Neighbourhood Plan Initiative, the RBWM Local Plan Initiative and promoting/defending any other issues which are of importance to our Community.

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