Nuneaton MP Marcus Jones is urging Nuneaton  and Bedworth Borough Council to work with the town’s residents to take advantage of the Government’s plans for neighbourhood planning.

Neighbourhood planning is a new way for communities to decide the future of the places they live and work in. Residents will be able to have more over planning issues. In recent years, local communities have struggled to have a meaningful say over how decisions are made and how local developments impact their community.

The Localism Bill introduced the right to do neighbourhood planning, but it is very much down to local communities. Marcus has now raised the issue with Government Ministers during a recent parliamentary debate.

Commenting about neighbourhood planning, Marcus said: “I welcome the introduction of neighbourhood planning, which will allow local communities to help shape a vision for their future. Too many people feel that they have no say in their community or how new developments impact upon them. I want to see a debate in the town and a real push to encourage the take-up of neighbourhood plans by local residents and the Council.

“The fact is that Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has failed, thus far, to engage in empowering eager local residents who want to embrace neighbourhood planning, and I would like to see that change.”