Neighbourhood Plan
The Neighbourhood Plan has been “made” for 16 months and provides the Parish with about 50 new houses up to 2031. It has been a huge success. It has been instrumental in, for example:
- HDC refusing planning permission for 40 houses at Saddler’s Farm in Mannings Heath.
- HDC refusing planning permission for 12 and then 4 houses on land to north of A281 at Monks Gate.
- The Planning Inspectorate dismissing two appeals against the refusal at Monks Gate.
It is widely quoted by residents when either supporting or objecting to planning applications on HDC’s planning portal, for example:
- Nearly 300 objected to Saddler’s Farm and nearly 400 objected to Monks Gate.
So far, planning applications have been submitted to HDC for four of the eight sites in the Neighbourhood Plan:
- Full planning permission has been granted for Micklepage, Nuthurst and building has now started.
- Outline planning permission has been granted for Great Ventors, Monks Gate. An application for full planning permission is awaited.
- Applications have been submitted for Swallowfield Nursery and land opposite the Dun Horse in Mannings Heath, but have not yet been determined by HDC.
The Neighbourhood Plan was based on what residents said they wanted which was about 50 new houses to be built between 2015 and 2031. But planning applications are still being submitted by developers whose sites are not listed in the Neighbourhood Plan. Sometimes these speculative developments are for just one house. But if successful, they will form a precedent encouraging even more speculative applications. Residents will find themselves faced not just the 50 houses in the Neighbourhood Plan, but more and more. The Parish Council is therefore investing considerable time in assessing planning applications in order to protect the Neighbourhood Plan that we all worked so very hard to achieve.