IN JUST over a week's time residents of Malton and Norton will be given the opportunity to shape the future of the towns.

The Neighbourhood Plan is a powerful tool that gives communities such as Malton and Norton statutory powers to help with their development. It’s a document that’s written by the local community, the people who know and love the area, rather than the Local Planning Authority.

On Thursday, October 3, residents will have their opportunity to cast a vote in a referendum on the future plan for Malton and Norton.

So what is a Neighbourhood Plan?

If supported by a majority the Neighbourhood Plan will be adopted and will become part of the formal statutory planning framework. This means that all planning decisions will need to take into account the policies set out in the Plan. With the loss of Ryedale District Council and the formation of North Yorkshire Council and concerns about the loss of local representation this provides our towns with very important safeguards. An adopted Neighbourhood Plan will also provide additional funding through the Community Infrastructure Levy to be spent locally.

Malton and Norton Town Councils decided to initiate the process of preparing a Neighbourhood Plan for Malton and Norton to give local people a greater say in the future of their communities, and to increase the protection of facilities that are valued by local people. The main reason for the desire to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan was that the town councils were concerned how Malton and Norton will struggle to accommodate further development given a number of locally specific issues, which include air quality and traffic generation. This concern was raised within the context of the Ryedale Local Plan, which set out how at least fifty per cent of development across the district is expected to be accommodated within Malton and Norton during the plan period up to 2027. This equates to potentially 1500 new dwellings and up to 36 hectares of employment land.

The town councils acknowledge that the Ryedale Plan (the Local Plan), the extant strategic development plan, is under review as part of the preparation of the new Local Plan for North Yorkshire, which has now formally commenced, and will ultimately supersede the Ryedale Plan upon its adoption.

The vision in the Neighbourhood Plan is based on the rich heritage and culture of Malton and Norton from their historical origins, the vision states that;

- New housing and employment growth and opportunities will be enabled, within the context of an even higher quality environment and improved infrastructure

- New and improved road, cycling and pedestrian links and the promotion of active travel will help alleviate traffic congestion and air pollution in our town centres

- Tourism which is vital to our towns will continue to grow powered by the twin engines of heritage and culture

- The local food and horse-racing industries which are so much a part of the towns and their hinterland will be supported and developed further

- The three conservation areas will be better protected and their appearance and character enhanced by new development and other improvements

- The River Derwent is the other jewel in our crown. The vision is of a Derwent that floods less (or not at all), remains ecologically rich but which offers sympathetic riverside enhancements and the positive use of under-utilised riverside land.

At root, the vision states that people in the towns should be able to freely enjoy an abundance of simple pleasures in a well-supported and fully serviced community. There is an aspiration to enjoy culturally rich and vibrant leisure opportunities, including improvement of existing services and the development of new facilities and wellness activities.

To view the plan go to https://www.malton-tc.gov.uk/malton-norton-neighbourhood-plan/