Unbeknownst to many local residents, South Derbyshire District Council are reviewing an area of policy that has a bigger impact on their environment than anything else, the Local Plan. South Derbyshire district includes towns like Swadlincote and Melbourne but also many villages with distinct identities and traditions. A lot of green space has been lost to infrastructure and development over the years and we need to increase the amount of high-quality space for wildlife. Much of South Derbyshire lies in the Trent valley and parts are covered by the National Forest, so there’s huge potential for nature’s recovery. However, competing demands for land are fierce including housing, commercial development, industry and energy generation. With such oppositional land use interests in play, the Local Plan for South Derbyshire is a vital document in setting out long term clarity for residents and developers alike.

Local Plans shape the future allocation of housing and commercial development over a 15-20-year period. They are little known but massively important in determining how places are made and ultimately, they impact on all of us our quality of life.

The Local Plan is actually a suite of documents that are refined over a number of stages before a finalised version is sent to the Government for approval. It’s important to get involved at an early stage, ideally before a full draft Local Plan is published for consultation. The later you get involved in the process, the harder it becomes to influence the outcome.

Thankfully, it’s still early days in South Derbyshire, as the Council haven’t agreed on a draft Local Plan yet. They want to hear the views of local people and are gathering feedback through a preliminary survey, called the ‘Issues & Options’ consultation. It sets out the 4 ‘options’ to locate future housing developments in the district, and the ‘issues’ that need to be addressed in the Local Plan.

Several of these issues focus on nature and the long term future of South Derbyshire’s environment from swift bricks to flood risk. We think the Local Plan needs to be as ambitious as possible to ensure nature’s and that is why we’re encouraging all our supporters in South Derbyshire to respond to the consultation. You can answer as few or as many questions as you like, but as the document is almost a hundred pages long, we’ve produced guidance on the key questions for nature. We’ve created two options for you, depending on whether you have 5 minutes or 10 minutes to spare.

If you live in South Derbyshire, join us in pushing for a strong Local Plan that places nature at its heart. Your opinion counts and can make a difference. Please click here to find out more.