An application to designate Cookley and Caunsall as a neighbourhood area will be discussed at Wyre Forest District Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee next week (Thursday 6 September).

Wolverley and Cookley Parish Council has applied to Wyre Forest District Council to designate the Cookley and Caunsall area of the parish as a neighbourhood area. It needs to do this in order to produce a Neighbourhood Plan for that area of the parish.

The district council has been consulting with residents and interested parties in the district on the proposed neighbourhood area. There were 19 responses to the consultation, which ended on Wednesday 8 August. All of them were in favour of the area being designated a neighbourhood area.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee will discuss the various options. It may recommend to the council’s Cabinet to approve the designation of the neighbourhood area. Another option it may choose is to recommend it be rejected and request the parish council to apply for a neighbourhood area for the whole of Wolverley and Cookley parish. It can also make alternative recommendations.

Councillor Ian Hardiman, Cabinet Member for Housing, Health and Well-being said:

“Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to our consultation.  Neighbourhood planning is all about the community getting involved with shaping development in that area in the future. The application to designate a neighbourhood area is the start of that process. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee will discuss the application and consultation results and it will then make recommendations to Cabinet. “

The council’s Cabinet will make a final decision at its meeting on Wednesday 19 September.

A copy of the application and a map showing the proposed neighbourhood area are available on the council website at www.wyreforestdc.gov.uk/neighbourhoodplanning.

If the designation of the neighbourhood area is approved by the district council, then the parish council will be able to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan for the proposed neighbourhood area, setting out how local residents would like the area to develop in the future.  Residents in the neighbourhood area, in collaboration with the parish council, would be able to influence where development such as housing and community facilities should go.