The 28 February 2023 event “Shaping The Future Of Our Town”, demonstrated the huge frustrations that many local people were feeling about the Planning Process, and the inability to secure proper engagement in planning decisions that were increasingly affecting Deal and the surrounding villages.
Below is a summary of that meeting with some links to helpful documents.
Summary of meeting on 28th February
The Deal Society was given a mandate by residents and their respective social groups to lead on, and develop, better ways to secure involvement and engagement, with the Society:
- Acting as an umbrella group for other groups/networks concerned with Planning issues, and
- Being the driving force to galvanise the action of others.
More specific aspirations voiced included:- - Bringing together Planning Issues across Dover District to maximise impact of community action.
- Networking with all Dover District towns/parishes, and maybe beyond if issues require.
- Want Deal Network to include Walmer, Ringwould, Mongeham, and Sholden, so that they get considered with a Deal (rather than Dover) overview.
- Ensure easier access to Planning Information/Applications.
- Link up with specialist forums, such as Campaign for Rural England
- Develop a closer working relationships between Deal Society, Deal Town Council, and Dover District Council.
The now emerging Deal Planning Network is seeking to address these aspirations,
- providing a platform for sharing knowledge and information,
- developing expertise together through networking and engaging around common concerns,
- guiding people on how planning systems are supposed to work,
- collecting together the learning experiences of different campaigns ….. what worked & what didn’t,
- engaging with specialist groups/agencies around key issues, arranging briefing sessions with them,
- holding events around issues that are worrying a growing number of people/communities, etc.
This is a learning process for all of us, but the more we work together the stronger and more influential our local communities can become. The important thing is we start the journey and keep learning.
Consequently, this document and others we’re making available at this time are just a starting point from which the Network can grow, develop, refine. All will be subject to continuous improvement reflecting the input from you all ….. so please feel free to contribute your own views, perspectives, and ideas along the way.