THERE will be a public hearing regarding the Bude Neighbourhood Plan this month, as heard at the recent Bude-Stratton planning committee meeting on November 24.

The plan is currently in the process of clarification from Cornwall Council, and members of the public are now being given the chance to listen to details about the Neighbourhood Plan on Tuesday, December 13 at 10am in the Parkhouse Centre, Bude, hearing from both Cornwall Council and Bude-Stratton Town Council about the plan’s housing policies.

Chairman of the planning committee, Cllr Lee Bartrop, said: “The Neighbourhood Plan is an important process. It gives communities new powers, and it is a work in progress.”

With big developments currently underway in St Ives, one of the key aspects of the plan is new builds for second homes, which ‘demonstrates that the neighbourhood plan is really important’, according to Cllr Bartrop.

He told the meeting: “It is okay to go back to the public to reconsult.”

However, town mayor, Cllr Lea Deely, disagreed. She said: “That would be more expense for the council. Everybody’s happy — we’ve gone through all the sites in Bude, and Cornwall Council will include them in the developing plan document.

“We should just get the plan in, because we can review it at any time. We are required to review it at least every five years.”

She added: “If we trip it up now, we will have to go back to public consultation. We don’t want anything to slow it up and go into the melting pot.”

In response, Cllr Bartrop said: “It sounds like the public will be able to have a say again.”

However, Cllr Deely implied that this was not the case. She explained that the only people who can express an opinion are Bude-Stratton Town Council. She then suggested that she would get a steering group meeting together to draw up a plan with Cornwall Council, with hopes this will take place before the public hearing on December 13.