I am pleased to be able to report to you that the Belgravia Neighbourhood Plan has now been formally submitted to Westminster City Council. This is a major milestone in the progress of the Plan.
Thank you to all those who have participated in our consultations and surveys, commented on the draft versions of the Plan and been generally supportive.
The Council will now review the Plan and arrange for a six-week public consultation on its contents. It will publish the plan on its website and invite comments from the public and specific statutory consultees. Thereafter the Plan will be subject to Examination by an independent examiner whose job it will be to ensure that the Belgravia Neighbourhood Plan meets certain Basic Conditions. These are essentially that it must be in conformity with other national and local development plans and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development.
Following this stage the Plan will be put to a referendum of all those who are registered to vote in local elections within our defined Neighbourhood Area. If this applies to you, you will receive Polling Cards and information about how and where to vote, just in the same way as for any other election or referendum. We expect the referendum to take place towards the end of 2023.
We would appreciate your YES VOTE, when the time comes, to ensure that the policies in the Plan are fully adopted by Westminster Council and used in evaluating planning applications. This will ensure that Belgravia’s unique character is preserved for future generations and that it remains an attractive, vibrant and agreeable ‘village’ in the heart of London.
A link to a summary of the key policies in the plan can be seen here: Belgravia Neighbourhood Plan – Summary of Policies May 2023
With best wishes
Dennis Wheatland
Chairman