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Purpose

Why a Neighbourhood Plan and Why now?

There are there three policy documents that affect housing in Shrewton:

 

  1. The National Planning Policy Framework. (NPPF). The Government are introducing sweeping changes to the NPPF to deliver their manifesto promise to build 1.5 million homes during this parliament. These changes include introducing a new formula for calculating housing targets and making the targets mandatory.[1]  This new policy is due publication in Dec 2024  and expected to come into force in early 2025.
     

  2. The Wiltshire Council Core Strategy is where Wiltshire interprets the NPPF and applies it to Wiltshire.  
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  3. The Strategy drives the Wiltshire Council Local Plan, which allocates housing numbers or targets to Shrewton.  In response to the new  NPPF proposals, Wiltshire Council have accelerated delivery of their Local Plan to achieve adoption by 2025 Quarter 3.  This means that they will then have a maximum of 18 months from when the new NPPF comes into force, to update the Local Plan again.  But the new NPPF may shorten this timeline.

 

The government has said that it is going to raise housing targets by an average of 80% with an emphasis on rural areas, rather than urban where there is limited space.  If a town or large village, such as Shrewton, wants to inject its requirements into the Local Plan or otherwise influence the Local Plan, then the only option is for the town or village is to develop a Neighbourhood Plan in accordance with the Localism Act.

Legislation - The Localism Act

​​​The Localism Act requires both the government and Wiltshire Council to place great importance on neighbourhood plans and where one exists then development must be in accordance with the NP.  However, all NPs have to:

  • Conform to the Core Strategy and the Local Plan.

  • Be developed following the process defined in the Act.

  • Be subject to a majority vote in favour of the NP in a local Referendum. 

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Subsequent to the NP being 'made' or approved, then it is legally enforceable in court. 

Neighbourhood Plan

​​​​​​The Shrewton Neighbourhood Plan (NP) is where we say where we want the new housing to be built in Shrewton and to describe the additional infrastructure, community facilities and amenities that will be necessary to support the additional housing and new villagers. 

 

A NP is the most effective instrument to influence the future of our village, which is why Shrewton Parish Council requires a NP.  Shrewton Parish Council has tasked the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (NPSG) to deliver it.

 

A NP cannot propose less building, but it can control when and where the new homes, infrastructure and community facilities are built within the constraints of the Wilts Council Local Plan.  The Localism Act specifies a number of mandatory headings in the Neighbourhood Plan, but what detailed, local content goes into each section is determined by the village. 

 

Once complete, the NP goes through a series of reviews and a final Referendum.  Providing there is a majority vote of villagers in the Referendum the NP is 'made' by Wilts Council.

 

To deliver a Neighbourhood Plan that supports our view of what we want for the village and to match the Wiltshire Council Plan timelines we envisage a Shrewton referendum in Nov 2025.  That is a challenging target, and we will not be able to achieve that without your active participation.

 

Neighbourhood Planning is a three stage process:

 

  1. Stage 1 – Getting established – Designation

  2. Stage 2 – Preparing the plan

  3. Stage 3 – Bringing the plan into force

 

Shrewton started work on a Neighbourhood Plan in 2012, unfortunately, work ceased in 2014 due to differences between the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group and Shrewton Parish Council. However, this previous work means that we have already designated our neighbourhood area (Stage 1).

 

We have also completed the groundwork to create our first version of the 2025 plan.  This version will be based on an updated version of the 2014 draft.  Much of the physical details remain unchanged but we will need to revisit the data to make sure it is accurate.

 

MOST IMPORTANTLY WE NEED NEW INPUT FROM THE VILLAGE TO TELL US WHAT YOU WANT FOR THE VILLAGE IN THE FUTURE.  IF YOU CARE ABOUT SHRETWON THEN PLEASE SHOW IT BY TAKING PART.

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[1] Applying this new formula will increase the number of houses that Wiltshire will have to build annually rise 1,917 to 3,476. This is likely to have a significant impact on the number of houses that will be built in Shrewton. 

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