Planning
The Borough Council is required to consult the Parish Council on any planning application that falls within the parish boundary. These are discussed at the Parish Council's monthly meetings. Residents are always welcome to come along and give their views and comments on these applications during the public forum at the start of the meeting and before councillors make their recommendations on each individual application.
All planning applications can be accessed on the Hartlepool Plannng Portal.
The response of the Parish Council to any planning application is always published on the Planning Portal, and also in the minutes of the Parish Council itself.
The Elwick Conservation Area was declared in 1975.
In an effort to maintain the character of the village, certain retsrictions were put on development, such as an Article 4 direction whcih removes the right to carry out building projects that are normally allowed under permitted development.
Please feel free to reach out to th eParish COuncil if you have any questions abou tthis, and we will be happy to help direct you to the correct information.
| File Name | Last Modified | File Size |
|---|---|---|
| Elwick Locally Listed Buildings.pdf | 08 January 2025 | 1.89MB |
| Elwick_Character_Appraisal.pdf | 08 January 2025 | 4.3MB |
| Elwick_Conservation_Area.pdf | 08 January 2025 | 301kB |
Hartlepool Rural Plan
In 2011 the Government introduced a concept of Neighbourhood Planning into its 'localism' agenda with the express view of enabling local communities to have an important say in how their local areas would be developed.
In Hartlepool, with the support of the Borough Council, the Parish Councils got together to develop a local plan embracing the rural areas of Hartlepool, from Hart in the North to Greatham and Newton Bewley in the South. The group was successful in obtaining government funding to help them develop a plan. Originally called ‘The Neighbourhood Plan for the Rural Hinterland of Hartlepool’, it should come as no surprise that the Working Group immediately began to use ‘The Rural Plan’ as a more easily accessible name!
The aim of the Plan was:
- To enhance the quality of life for all sections of the community.
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- To ensure the retention of rural character, history and environmental assets.
- To maintain the links between small settlements, parishes and the urban area of Hartlepool.
- To develop in such a way as to meet the present and future needs of our rural communities.
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After initially agreeing the area to be covered by the Plan – Wynyard was excluded by mutual agreement, (they had decided to develop their own Neighbourhood Plan), the Group undertook a number of public consultations as the plan developed over the following 6 years. The Group – made up of 2 representatives from each of the rural parish councils – Dalton Piercy, Elwick, Hart and Greatham, with occasional input from the Parish Meeting of Newton Bewley, worked to develop appropriate policies and a clear rationale for them, with unstinting support from a Borough Planning Officer.
Finally, the draft Plan was completed and submitted to an Independent Examiner. He identified a few small areas where the Rural Plan conflicted with the Local Plan and, once these had been resolved, the Borough Council was asked to put the Plan to referendum, as required by legislation. Having achieved an 80% approval from residents of the rural area, the Plan was finally ‘made’ – the formal name for its adoption, by the Borough Council.
The Plan focuses on 6 key policy areas:
- Housing
- Rural Economy
- Transport & Movement
- Community
- Natural Environment
- Heritage Assets and finally, Planning Obligations.
To see the full Rural Plan, go to: http://www.hartlepoolruralplan.co.uk/index.html
Developers, Planning Officers and the Borough Planning Committee must all take the policies of the Rural Plan into consideration when deciding on an application.
The Rural Plan Group has to be consulted by the Borough Council on all applications that fall within the rural area of Hartlepool. We are monitoring its implementation very closely, and are determined that the policies within it are firmly adhered to. Already we have had to challenge several applications, including one made by the Borough Council itself!