Council Consultations Need Views: School Transport & Affordable Housing

council consultationsCornwall Council has opened consultations to get resident’s views on School Transport and Affordable housing. Below are the details under their respective headings:

School Transport

The Council is consulting on proposed changes to how home to school transport is provided and want to hear from anyone who is interested in or uses home to school transport. If the proposed changes are approved they will come into effect from September 2014.

The consultation on home to school transport, which closes on Friday 28 February 2014, involves:
• eligibility for transport free of charge
• transport for which the parent/carer makes a financial contribution
• provision for children with special educational needs and other individual needs, including medical and health needs.

The Council would like to hear the views of anyone with an interest in the Home to School Transport Policy, especially, Parents/carers, Pupils, Schools and colleges, Partner agencies (e.g. Health), The Voluntary Sector & Town and parish councils

A consultation document that summarises the proposed changes is available along with the full proposed Home to School Transport Policy 2014/15. Both the documents are available on their website www.cornwall.gov.uk/schooltransport or on request by calling 0300 1234 101.

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Andrew Wallis, said: “The Council currently spends approximately £12 million a year on home to school transport, with around 12,000 children and young people being transported each school day. While the majority of transport is provided under our statutory duty, the current policy also includes several discretionary elements which, in light of extreme pressure on our budget, we need to reconsider.

“We have a responsibility to ensure our policy continues to provide fair and appropriate transport arrangements for children and young people alongside value for money. Balancing those two things is not always easy and we want to hear from as many people as possible to help inform our debate and final decision.”

The consultation will run from Monday 13 January 2014 to Friday 28 February 2014.

Anyone interested in commenting on the proposed changes can do so in a number of ways: By complete the feedback form contained in the consultation document and either post or email it to us using the contact details below. Email pupiltransport@cornwall.gov.uk or write to School Transport Commissioning Team, East 0, New County Hall, Truro, TR1 3AY

The results of the consultation will be considered by Cornwall Council in April 2014 and come into effect in September 2014. Here are the links below for the consultation documents:

Affordable Housing

Cornwall Council’s Planning, Housing and Regeneration Service is currently seeking views on a draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
 
Planning applications for new homes must contribute to the provision of affordable homes for local people so the Council has produced draft guidance on policy requirements for affordable housing.
 
The Cornwall Local Plan provides high level affordable housing policies. This Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning SPD will sit underneath the Local Plan and provide detailed guidance on the how the Local Plan affordable housing policies will be implemented. For example, the Local Plan sets targets for the percentage of new houses which must be affordable. The Affordable Housing SPD will provide the detail for how these targets and requirements will be implemented, for example delivering the type, size, tenure, quality and distribution of affordable homes which can best meet local need.
 
If you do wish to comment on the Local Plan, further details of consultation arrangements for that document can be found at: www.cornwall.gov.uk/localplancornwall
 
The consultation period runs for six weeks from Friday 31st January 2014 until Friday 14th March 2014
 
All documents may be viewed on the Council’s website at: www.cornwall.gov.uk/affordablehousingspd
 
How to comment
 
Comments can be submitted by e-mail using the form available at: www.cornwall.gov.uk/affordablehousingspd
To be emailed to the Affordable Housing Team at:affordablehousingspd@cornwall.gov.uk
 
During the consultation period, printed copies of the documents and comment forms will be available to view at all One-Stop-Shops and libraries. Completed response forms should be sent to: Cornwall Council, Affordable Housing Team, Circuit House, St Clement Street, Truro TR1 1DT
 
If you have any comments, they must be submitted by 5:00pm on 14th March 2014.
 

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