The refreshed Uttoxeter Masterplan is a regeneration document that sits outside of the planning policy framework, instead serving the purpose of identifying opportunities and aspirations for the future regeneration of the town. As such, the Masterplan does not seek to provide any permissions for development, but to instead ascertain the regeneration priorities for the town in the future.
As part of this, the Masterplan establishes the current baseline economic performance of the town and wider possible interventions, presenting four priority areas for focussed regeneration:
1) The Maltings Shopping Centre
2) The Trinity Centre
3) The Wheatsheaf
4) The Quarry
There are possible interventions identified for each of the priority areas, however, these are high level suggested options proposed by the report authors prior to undertaking further consultation with residents and visitors of the town, which will shortly be launched by the Council.
Speaking about the consultation Deputy Leader for Regeneration and Planning Policy, Councillor George Allen said: “In February this year, I made a promise to the Council and the residents of Uttoxeter that the next round of consultation for the Masterplan would be brought forward as soon as COVID-19 restrictions would enable us to conduct a hybrid approach to consultation, involving both physical and virtual engagement.
Although there may be a slight delay to the easing of restrictions, I am pleased to now confirm that the consultation will be launched later this month and will enable residents, businesses and visitors of Uttoxeter to inform the proposals for the four priority sites identified by the Masterplan, in order to contribute their ideas for these areas that are in need of regeneration.”
The consultation will commence at the end of June/beginning of July with stakeholder workshop events held with community groups in Uttoxeter, which will be held both virtually and in person.
At the same time, details of the public consultation will be published with online and physical media, including presentation boards, posters, leaflets, and questionnaires. These will be located in key locations in the town, such as the Maltings Car Park, and linked with important events such as the Makers Market. Physical consultation events will take place in the town, with the overall programme running until September 2021.
Feedback will be provided to stakeholder groups and the public in September, with the responses informing the proposals and final options for the four priority areas in the Masterplan.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Duncan Goodfellow, added: “In order to ensure that residents of Uttoxeter, and the wider Borough, are kept informed of the Council’s work on the Uttoxeter Masterplan Consultation, we will be creating a mailing list through which residents will be able to receive emails about the consultation over the course of the summer. If you would like to subscribe to this list, please email your name, address and contact details to: enterprise.team@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk”.