image source:wikipedia
In the coming weeks Hoylake will be offered the chance to vote on how local neighbourhood planning decisions are made.
Hoylake Vision was granted legal authority to make a neighbourhood plan under the provisions of the Localism Act 2011. You can find and read more information about this on the Hoylake Vision (website) and also via Wirral Council’s web site.
If you want to read the neighbourhood development plan this is a pdf version of it.
The referendum will be overseen by the council’s electoral services team. If you are eligible (you are on the electoral roll and live or work in the area) you will be invited to go to a local polling station, just as you would in a normal election.
The referendum question will be:
“Do you want Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Hoylake to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?â€
If more than 50% of those voting vote “Yes†the Hoylake Neighbourhood Development Plant will become a statutory part of the planning framework alongside existing national and local legislation.
Hoylake Vision is prohibited from using public money to campaign for a particular outcome in the forthcoming referendum on the Hoylake Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP). A fundraising page has been set up in an attempt to raise funds – you’ll find it here.
You’ll have questions about this – please contact Hoylake Vision and/or Wirral Council.
[Update at 17:25]
Mark Howard (Hoylake Vision) has clarified some points for me:
- Wirral Council are responsible for publicising the referendum and every eligible voter will receive a polling card
- There will also be at least one further public meeting; date and venue TBC
- The referendum will pass on 50% + 1, regardless of turnout
- The referendum must happen within 56 weekdays (working as currently understood) days of 14 Sept
By my calculations the referendum must take place by Thurs 1st December.
Here we go again. Major yawns.
When was Mark Howard elected to council? Never.
So why is he presuming that he and his cronies could and should take charge of Hoylake?
I’ve read the PDF. I don’t think the fall in vacancy rates can be attributed to Incredible Edible and Hoylake in Bloom?! This section sounds rather self congratulating to me.
Surely any fall in vacancy rates is down to market forces and shops just selling the right goods that people want to buy?
The heavy emphasis on encouraging more nightlife into Hoylake is concerning.
What are our Councillors views on this?
Tricky one this.
All sounds very good in principle: let Hoylake people decide on Hoylake’s future. Thing is, if you decide not to let elected representatives use their judgment and make these decisions on your behalf (and kicking the beggars out if you’re not happy), then you better make sure your alternatives are at least as good if not better given the bother in changing.
So one immediate danger. Like it or not, our elected members are given the time and resource to enable them to exercise judgment and make decisions. Which is good, as most of us lack both the time and the inclination to do likewise preferring to either go about our day jobs, partake of our other interests or simply just remain plonked in front of the tele (my preference). Letting ‘Hoylake people decide’ risks these decisions being taken by either the sharp-elbowed, the single-issue obsessives, the Colonel Blimps or all three. None are attractive; a coalition of them less so. I might also add that I would need some real convincing that this type of local democracy is suitable for anything other than deciding on a new design for a Town Crest and the like (so long as we can off the ‘lion rampant’ obsessives!).
On balance then, it’s a ‘no’ from me.
As an aside, the church by Sainsbury’s. As I type, this continues to plough it’s lonely furrow to ever-increasing decrepitude. The NDP is held as an exemplar for blocking its demolition and development. Fine. We know what it stops. What does it facilitate? Specifically, how will it facilitate or prime the bringing forward of development proposals that are in keeping with the plan?
Precisely, Self-important busybodies appointed by absolutely nobody.
When the voting form appeared through the letterbox today I was appalled.
Who are Hoylake vision ? Let’s have a full list of these self appointed people . I suspect it is full of the people who object to everything that happens in Hoylake !
I haven’t received any sort of voting papers and if I did it would be NO
Exactly at what point did we see anyone coming round our homes asking for our opinions before the voting card landed on our doorsteps today. Who are the Hoylake Vision are they all ex councillors with nothing better to do except moan about moving out of the 19th century as that seems to be where we are stuck. A Main Street full of charity shops that will bring in visitors, not, The only time anyone stops in Hoylake is if we get The Open golf here. We don’t even get a Xmas tree anymore, or even good Xmas lights. Even the youth of Hoylake move into West Kirby, who and why is making the decisions why should west kirby getting a better service, we all,pay our taxes, well,most of us.
I would like to know who has paid for the ‘yes’ propaganda leaflet and distribution – anyone know? I’m guessing it’s being paid for by those with a vested interest in a ‘yes’ result – however if it’s being funded through our taxes then it’s a disgrace.
Where is the leaflet that supports a ‘no’ vote? This is hardly a democratic process and the electorate are not being given the full facts – the whole project stinks and should be stopped in its tracks now..
My understanding is that it’s not publicly funded – but I’ve not double-checked. A fundraiser has been started (as mentioned above in the article), see here: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/hoylakevisionyes. At time of writing £400 has been pledged.
I’m not aware of an active “no” campaign. If there is one I will of course mention it on the site.