A NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN FOR BOURTON

1. A NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANFOR BOURTON

2. What is a Neighbourhood Plan? • Set up by Government under the Localism Act 2011 • Prepared by local people through the Parish Council • Must be evidence-based • Helps to influence planning in the Parish • Reflects the vision of local people for their area • Residents vote in a referendum on the Plan • No legal requirement to have one

3. What can a Neighbourhood Plan include? • Decide where new development, if any, should be • Any changes needed to the Settlement Boundary • Identify new and protect existing open spaces • Influence the design of buildings • Promote more development than Local Plan

4. What can a Neighbourhood Plan include? • Development of housing including affordable • Provision for new or expanded business premises • Transport and Access (including for disabled) • Development of health, leisure, school and community facilities • Protection of important buildings • Promotion of renewable energy projects • Promotion of Conservation Areas

5. What can a Neighbourhood Plan not do? • Cannot conflict with strategic policies within the Local Plan or National ones • Cannot be used to prevent development in the Local Plan • Cannot be prepared by anyone but a parish council where there is a parish • Cannot deal with matters outside the scope of planning and development

6. Why do we need it? • We could influence the future of the place where we live and work • It would become a formal, statutory, part of the planning system • Planning decision makers would be obliged to take what we have said into account • It would influence the content of the Local Plan being prepared by NDDC • It would continue the work of the Village Plan & VDS

7. What is involved in producing it? The CPRE have summarised the processes: • Getting started • Identifying the issues • Develop a vision and objectives • Generate options • Draft a plan • Consultation and submissions • Independent examination • Referendum and adoption How long will this take?

8. What has been done so far? • Parish Council has set up a Neighbourhood Planning Group with an agreed Constitution • Parish Council has made a formal application to NDDC to accept the parish as a Neighbourhood Area • This meeting starts off a series of public consultations to gather evidence for preparing the Plan • Initial contact has been made with adjoining Towns/Parishes

9. How will it affect :- • Bourton Mill development? • Silton Wind Turbines? • Traffic speed/road noise? • Bourton Village Hall?

10. Who is paying for it? • Some monies left over from Village Design Statement process • Government have not yet provided general funding other than to “front runners” • Two major items of expenditure paid for by NDDC – independent assessor and referendum • Government have provided funding to four groups who can provide help and expertise • Mainly volunteers giving time and experience

11. What happens next? • The plan must be evidenced based • Gathering your ideas & opinions is vital • Views expressed in Village Plan 5 years ago • Responses in the VDS are from 2010 • A further Questionnaire will probably be needed • Meetings with businesses, landowners, school, community groups, etc • Possibility of topic based workshops • Communication continues

12. Can I help? • YES – if you want to • Volunteer to help as little or as much as you choose • Respond to questionnaires • Attend workshops • Make sure your views are put forward • Spread the word – talk to others in the village who cannot be at one of these meetings • Vote in the referendum

13. Questions? This is your chance to ask any questions you may have now or if you prefer write your questions or comments on the sheets you were given on the way in