If you were driving from Chatham towards Luton at the moment, you would see changes being made to the iconic rail arches.

Network Rail's work to clean, repair and repaint the structure were called for by the lottery-funded community group Arches Local and its neighbourhood forum.

The Arches 'Chatham' Neighbourhood Plan covers aspects including transport, expanding the local economy and ensuring high-quality housing is retained.

The draft plan covers an area from The Brook in the north, taking in the the whole area of Luton and ending at Shipwrights Avenue.

A 10-week consultation is under way showcasing ideas on how residents want the area to be more green, low traffic, and on the whole a more inviting place to live.

So far, people have been getting involved with weekly webinars and surveys focussing on different aspects of the plan which members of the Arches Chatham Neighbourhood Forum (ACNF) say makes approaching the almost 50-page document less daunting.

Locals have been engaged in conversation since December 2017 and pre-pandemic in-person engagement events were held at places including the Brook Theatre and the Pentagon centre.

ACNF members Stephen Perez and Jackson Frase-Hague now have the challenge of making sure the group's plans are communicated far and wide so residents are able to shape their community's future.

Among the ideas put forward is re-purposing Luton Road shoppers car park as a space the community can enjoy by introducing trees, allotments, a community hub, a market or even a multi-use sports pitches.

The plan also pinpoints a number of sites which could see future development such as the former Go Outdoors store and neighbouring Buzz Bingo.

The documents set out what kind of development residents would like to see and the manner in which any future development would take place, for example, making sure they are in-keeping with the design of pre-existing buildings.

The proposals also set out how retaining community spaces is important and how the area can work towards becoming lower traffic and friendly towards cyclists and pedestrians.

Once people's views have been collated following the consultation, voting-aged residents will be called upon to take part in a referendum to choose whether or not they accept the plan, as per a simple 'yes' or 'no' vote.

The plan will then be used as a legally-binding document by developers and Medway Council over the next 15 years to inform future planning decisions, much like the council's Local Plan does, but on a more grassroots level.

Mr Perez said: "At the moment, they have only got the Local Plan which doesn't necessarily refer to the needs of the area.

"These are all as a result of all the people who live here; we are all wanting positive change."

One of the projects currently under way which was spearhead by Arches Local is the moveable forest; five trees planted in large containers that can then be flexibly moved around the area.

This was inspired by a similar project in Barcelona and is one of the ways the group wants to make Luton greener.

Both men agree having Arches Local as an agency for change in the area put them in a good position to win support for the ideas residents have so far put forward in the plan.

Mr Perez added: "We have to make sure the work is done to realise it and it will only come about by asking for it.

"The Neigbourhood Plan is giving advise; it's a plan of what could happen there or what the community would like to happen there.

ACNF secretary Mr Fraser-Hague said: "We have asked ourselves and the community, if change is going to happen, how can we influence at a later date?"

Mr Fraser-Hague added although it is a 15-year plan, it will be amended every five years to reflect community needs.

The consultation closes on Friday, May 7. To find out more, visit www.archesnp.org.uk

WHAT IS A NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN?

Mr Perez says their neighbourhood plan is unique as similar plans usually cover rural areas, whereas the one covering the Chatham and Luton area is urban and therefore subject to ongoing changes.

Neighbourhood plans are one of many provisions set out in the Localism Act 2011 which enable communities to shape future development.

They aim to establish polices which form part of the development plans used in determining planning applications.

Once the plan has been approved at a referendum after gaining over 50% of a 'yes' vote, it has the same legal status as a Local Plan and other documents that form part of an area's statutory development plan.

This means applications for planning permission have to be made in line with the neighbourhood plan and it would sit alongside the Local Plan which is prepared by the council.

Medway Council is currently preparing its draft Local Plan which will cover the area's future development up to 2037.

It is expected to be published sometime this spring; its last Local Plan was implemented in 2003.

Neighbourhood plans can set out development over 10, 15 or 20 years and they can be lead by parish or town councils, community organisations, and neighbourhood forums.

Hoo St Werburgh Parish Council, High Halstow Parish Council, and Cliffe and Cliffe Woods Parish Council are all currently working towards implementing their own neighbourhood plans.

Other ways communities can take the reigns when it comes to planning developments is by utilising Neighbourhood Development Order or a Community Right to Build Order which are used for small scale developments for community benefit.

They could also choose to submit a pre-application consultation and supplementary planning documents.

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