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March 2024 Update
The Highclere Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (SG), after submitting all proposed sites to independent sustainability assessment and an assessment against the HNP Objectives, entered a Parish-wide consultation in Spring 2023 on those sites which could meet both our expected future Housing Requirement (HR) of ten dwellings in full as well as being capable of contributing to our objectives of providing smaller and more affordable homes.
As a result the Foxs Lane site in Penwood was chosen for allocation in the Neighbourhood Plan.
However, the publication of the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) Local Plan Update (LPU) in January 2024 left it unclear whether the chosen site was, in fact, acceptable within BDBC’s Spatial Strategy.
Despite the National Planning Policy Framework guidance that Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) should assign Housing Requirements to Neighbourhood Areas (NAs), BDBC have decided to base their Spatial Strategy in the latest LPU on individual “settlements” alone and in the LPU have assigned an HR of ten dwellings to the settlement of Highclere Village. Subsequent communications have made it clear that our proposed site allocation in Foxs Lane would not count for our HR and that this judgment also applies to the Oakley Farm site. Equally none of the five sites proposed to us in our Call for Sites exercise, but not presented in the Preference Survey, satisfied the latest LPU criteria either.
Fortunately, the data from the Preference Survey does give us the justification to allocate “the best of the rest” and we judge that re-running the Preference Survey would not be useful or expedient. The replacement site for allocation in the NP will therefore be Cleremeadows, which satisfies the latest LPU criteria.
As ever, the allocation of a site in a Neighbourhood Plan confers no special treatment on any planning application made on that site, which must still be subject to all the normal Planning policies and processes.
LATEST UPDATE: 24 APRIL 2023
We need your thoughts! Please read these attached documents and come along to give us your thoughts on our proposed site selection (Can't read it clearly? Try opening the pdf document below).
What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
It is a document which shapes where we live by stating the Vision, Objectives and Policies for all future Planning Applications in the Parish. It is being written following consultation with members of the Parish over the last few years and is an opportunity to influence what happens next. Key documents relating to the Highclere Parish Neighbourhood Plan can be found towards the bottom of this page. You can also click the button below to see our Village Design Statement
Why is the Neighbourhood Plan important?
It influences development – where new buildings should be placed and what they might look like.
It seeks to ensure that any new development reflects community needs.
It helps to maintain the rural character of the Parish and protect Green Space areas.
It facilitates access to funds for the Parish from developers – funds that can be used for our schools and for projects within the Parish.
Will it affect future Planning applications?
Yes, it is a planning document with legal standing. Planning applications will have to take account of the policies contained within the Neighbourhood Plan (once it has been approved at referendum).
Site selection Leaflet
December 2023 Update- site selection reasons
We have received a number of questions on why Foxs Lane has been chosen as a site for development in the NP. The following documents show the process and how a decision was made.
September 2023 Update
The Neighbourhood Plan (NP) will give our community a statutory influence over Planning decisions in the Parish and our work on it is accelerating. This year has seen development of NP policies on Landscape and the Natural Environment, Housing and the Built Environment and Business and Employment.
As part of that process, last year we issued a ‘Call for Sites’ and eleven residential sites were proposed. These were tested against the NP Objectives which the Parish has so strongly supported and also independently tested for sustainability. A short list was further tested in our recent community consultation, and we thank all those who replied or came along to the drop-in sessions.
As a result the Foxs Lane site on the south-east edge of Penwood will go forward in the NP.
The next stage is to develop further our policies on protecting valued views and green spaces, and begin to prepare the (extensive) evidence required to support all our policies. We must also compile documentation to show that Plan development has been done according to the strict statutory requirements.
All this takes significant effort from the Steering Group and our external support, so we are also pleased to say that delayed Government funding has now been released and we have been awarded sufficient to take us close to our goal.
Our next milestone, due by Christmas, is the delivery of a draft of the Plan which can go to an open consultation, when you will be able to see the whole Plan for the first time and have further opportunity to comment.
Please direct questions about the Plan to Colin Wall at colin.n.wall@gmail.com
Please find below the key documents regarding the Highclere Parish council neighbourhood plan. If you require further information or guidance please contact the parish clerk by email here.
On 15th February 2020, the NP Steering Group Organised an Information Day. Attached below is the article sent to the Newbury Weekly News, as well as a copy of the slides and the feedback.
Highclere Parish Council Neighbourhood Plan: Key Documents