Cllr Stuart Beadle proposed that the town should have such a plan within a few months of being elected in May 2019, but the town council at the time declined.
 
“It is a town council decision,” he said. “If the process had been started it should have been completed and be in place by now with the weight of a referendum of the electorate of the town supporting the policies decided within the town.”
 
He continued: “A neighbourhood plan covers many things. By using mainly grant-funded professional consultants the residents of the town would be consulted by questionnaires on many issues, including the nature of any development, what facilities should be provided or improved, and, crucially, a neighbourhood plan has to be taken into account by Broadland District Council in deciding planning policies and planning applications. All this is done with the help and support of the district council.”
 
Cllr Beadle said that when a residential plan is successful, the developer has to pay a Community Infrastructure Levy, of which 15% goes to the town council for community use. “If the town has completed a neighbourhood plan, this rises to 25%,” he pointed out.
 
Speaking about the Broomhill Lane development, which recently received planning consent, Cllr Beadle, who is a governor of Reepham High School and College (RHSC), said he supported the applications on the basis of the community benefits that Reepham could receive.
 
These include a developer contribution of £1.5 million towards a new indoor sports hall for RHSC and converting the existing sports hall to a modern performing arts studio, with both facilities available for school and community use.
 
In addition, the residential development of 141 new houses will include 39 “affordable” homes (28% of the total) comprising 19 houses, four flats and three wheelchair-accessible bungalows, all to let, with a further 14 properties for shared ownership.
 
“All the let properties will be given preference to people with a Reepham connection,” said Cllr Beadle.
 
Answering a question at last week’s meeting of Reepham Town Council, Cllr Beadle confirmed that the approval of the Broomhill Lane planning applications was not the result of Reepham not having a neighbourhood plan, which the town council said had been not been ruled out.
 
See our earlier stories:

• Town council unconvinced about benefits of a neighbourhood plan
• Neighbourhood plan back on the agenda
• Plans for large housing development approved