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The Planning Policy and Projects Unit has two main functions: planning policy work and project activity.
On the planning side we prepare planning policy, such as the Local Development Framework, which guides all decisions made on planning applications in the borough.
We also prepare other planning policy documents such as development briefs for major sites and look after the interests of the borough by making comments on behalf of the council on planning policy documents prepared by other organisations at the sub-regional and regional levels. For example we represented the borough council at the Cheshire Waste Local Plan Inquiry in 2006 and last year appeared at the Regional Spatial Strategy Examination in Public held in Wigan where we argued in favour of strategies and policies that support the regeneration of the district.
Our work often involves us looking ahead into the future and identifying the kind of place that we want Ellesmere Port & Neston to be. For example as well as preparing future planning strategies, we also lead on the bid for Ellesmere Port to become a housing Growth Point area.
As part of our planning policy work we collect and monitor information on issues such as housing need, housing supply, population trends,employment and shopping. We are also responsible for overseeing the built heritage of the borough including listed buildings, and preparing plans for appraising the character of our conservation areas. We have recently completed an appraisal of Parkgate Conservation Area.
The other area of our work is on projects. We play a leading role in the project to redevelop part of Neston town centre to attract a new supermarket to Neston town centre and create a new town square. We have also been closely involved with the Neston Market Town Initiative, particularly the Shop Fronts Improvement scheme.
The unit is responsible for a number of other regeneration schemes, including new tree planting and improvement programmes as part of the Mersey Forest, and a number of corporate projects.
The team is now actively working in partnership to develop planning policies for Cheshire West and Chester.
Meet the team:
| Planning Policy and Projects Unit Manager | Mike Worden | 0151 356 6669 |
| Principal Planning Officer | Catherine Morgetroyd | 0151 356 6666 |
| Senior Planning Officer | David Butler | 0151 356 6664 |
| Senior Planning Officer | Perran Baragwanath | 0151 356 6566 |
| Senior Planning Officer | Lucy Hughes | 0151 356 6667 |
| Planning Officer (Building Conservation) | post currently vacant* | 0151 356 6670 |
| Environmental Projects Officer | post currently vacant* | 0151 356 6554 |
| Planning Support Officer | Gemma Jones | 0151 356 6504 |
| Planning Technician | Laura Myles | 0151 356 6671 |
* these functions are managed through the unit but are provided through agreements with partners for the remainder of 2008/09 in the light of local government reorganisation. The building conservation service is provided by Cheshire County Council and the environmental project work is being undertaken through a staffing agreement with the Mersey Forest project. All queries on these services should be directed to the Planning Policy and Projects Unit at the Borough Council.
For general email enquiries, please contact Gemma Jones, Planning Support Officer: Gemma Jones
