Neighbourhood Priority Statement for Great and Little Haseley

Neighbourhood Priority Statement for Great and Little Haseley

The government recognises that it is crucial for local communities to have an effective say in the planning decisions that directly affect them.

At the moment, this is mostly achieved through a Neighbourhood Plan – a comprehensive document requiring significant amounts of research and survey work, resulting in binding policies that have to be respected in any planning decision.

Recognising that this is potentially too burdensome an approach for small communities, the government is piloting a simpler approach – and Great Haseley has been accepted as one of the pilot parishes.

What is involved?

We have the opportunity to identify the issues that most affect us, and that we most want taken into account in any future planning decisions. These can cover a wide range of subjects: for instance;

• Protection for green spaces
• Design principles in future development:
  • Environmental standards
  • Materials that fit with the character of the parish
• Light pollution
• Parking
• Protection for particular views
• Connectivity
  • Physical – cycle routes / paths / non-car access to other villages and communities
  • Digital
• Community facilities

A Neighbourhood Priority Statement must be demonstratively rooted in the concerns and aspirations of the local community – and any proposals need to be adequately researched and achievable. They will be assessed by an independent examiner, and if agreed, they must be taken into account by the District Council in their decisions that affect our communities. A Neighbourhood Priority Statement doesn’t have the same force as the policies that a Neighbourhood Plan defines: but the proposals it sets out are an important protection, and may be a useful first step towards a fully fledged Neighbourhood Plan.

So we need your help: to contribute your views via a brief questionnaire that you will find in https://forms.gle/XAmjCPXY5rLwNerR6

Tim Suter

David Lindsay

Richie Sheehan

Ben Smith