The Localism Act of 2011 gave Parish Councils greater opportunities to influence the scale and location of development in their areas through a Neighbourhood Plan, provided that this plan was:
- consistent with national and local planning policies
- based on residents’ views on key issues
- approved in a referendum of residents
The Neighbourhood Plan is being developed by a small working group which reports regularly to a steering group of residents from all our communities. Evidence for the development of the plan is collected from many sources, including surveys of residents’ opinions, which requires the work of dedicated teams. There is the opportunity to join any of these groups and teams, either on a regular basis or for specific tasks. If you would like to join or to receive more information, please use the Contact Us tab.
Yes. There were surveys of all residents and other stakeholders in late 2019 through early 2020, the results of which fed into the draft of the Plan which went to resident consultation before being finalised and submitted to Wiltshire Council for examination. The process of ratifying the plan then involves a further consultation period and a referendum of all residents conducted by Wiltshire Council.
The draft Neighbourhood Plan and all supporting documents were submitted by the parish council to Wiltshire Council in January 2022. It then goes through a period of consultation and examination. When it is approved by an independent inspector it will go to a referendum of parish residents and, if it receives a majority vote in favour, will be complete.
When adopted by Wiltshire Council, which involves scrutiny by an independent examiner to ensure adherence to the legal requirements and a vote by parish residents in a referendum, the Neighbourhood Plan has to be taken into account by Wiltshire Council or subsequent appeal adjudicator in arriving at planning application decisions.