Whitchurch is in the process of producing a Neighbourhood Plan, as supported by a high proportion of residents.
Calendar of events:
APRIL 2023:
Regulation 14 Consultation completed. Thank you.
We are at a particularly exciting stage of the Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan process. A big thank you to all who under the Regulation 14 consultation process took time to read and provide comments and suggestions on the draft Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan (available below). If you were amongst those who raised comments you will receive a reply. As well as responses from residents, we also received points from various statutory bodies and Buckinghamshire Council provided extensive commentary. The Steering Group, along with our consultants, are in the process of reviewing all comments and making appropriate changes to the next version. Our objective is to have a revised plan ready in the coming weeks to submit to Buckinghamshire Council.
Whitchurch Parish Council will be formally asked by the Steering Group to consider and approve the next version of the plan. Once approved, the Parish Council will formally submit the Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan to Buckinghamshire Council. This is called Regulation 15 and Buckinghamshire Council will review and ultimately appoint an independent examiner to further consider that the plan is aligned with national and local policies prior to a final consultation process with local and national stakeholders.
This means we are now entering the latter stages of the process and we will provide our thoughts on the likely timetable soon.
Your Village, Your Neighbourhood Plan, Your Vote!
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The DRAFT Neighbourhood Plan is currently being finalised, the consultation period having ended. Once it is ready, it will be sent off to the Examiner. Section 14 Regulations are being completed, section 15 next.
The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group wish to thank everyone who attended our recent official consultation event in St John’s Church Hall. We are now copleting responses to comments we received, and liaising with our consultants in order to move to the next stage of the process.
20th December 2022
THE WHITCHURCH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN IS READY IN DRAFT FORMAT FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT BY WHITCHURCH RESIDENTS AND STATUTORY BODIES.
THIS PROCESS OF CONSULTATION IS KNOWN AS REGULATION 14 AND WILL BE OPEN UNTIL END OF DAY, FRIDAY 17TH FEBRUARY 2023.
IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS TO MAKE ON THIS PLAN, PLEASE SEND TO THE CLERK TO WHITCHURCH PARISH COUNCIL, PREFERABLY BY EMAIL clerkwhitchurchaylesbury@gmail.com
How to review the Draft Plan?
A guide to the Draft Plan and Summary is below to help you.
The draft plan comprises the following documents, as below:
A GUIDE TO THE DRAFT PLAN, AND SUMMARY
Green Spaces Report
PRE-SUBMISSION REPORT
HOUSING NEEDS SURVEY REPORT
APPENDIX A TO PRE-SUBMISSION REPORT – DESIGN GUIDELINES
STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) REPORT
IMPORTANT VIEWS REPORT
Site Assessment Report
Here are those important documents, for you to look through:
Guide to Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan
Green Spaces Report Whitchurch NP Dec 18
Housing Needs Assessment Whitchurch NP Dec 18
Whitchurch Pre-Submission Neighbourhood Plan December 2022 (including Appendix) – please be aware this document has been updated on 17th January,. It corrects policy W3 to 35 homes after an error was identified in the original. This number is consistent with all other documents and analysis in the draft Neighbourhood Plan.
SEA Environmental Report Whitchurch NP Dec 18
Important Views WHITCHURCH NP Dec 20
Site Assessment Report Whitchurch NP Dec 18 2022
thank you to all those of you who attended our open session on 14th January 2023.
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EVIDENCE BASE:
Plan_01_2019_05 (1) – notice re questionnaire to residents
Plan_02_2019_07 – THANKS FOR COMPLETING THE QUESTIONNAIRE, NEXT…
Plan_03_2019_09 – GENERAL UPDATE PLUS MAP SHOWING BIGGEST RESIDENTS’ CONCERNS
Plan_04_2019_10 – MORE FEEDBACK PLUS MEETING WITH avdc
Plan_05_2020_06 – – NEW WEBSITE INTRODUCED – WHITCHURCH.ORG
Plan_07_2021_03 – OUTLINE OF PROCESS
Plan_08_2021_04 – INVITATION TO AN ONLLINE MEETING 7TH aPRIL; PLUS MORE FEEDBACK
Plan_09_2021_05 – UPDATE
Plan_10_2021_06 – ASKING FOR FEEDBACK FROM LOCAL GROUPS, PLUS UPDATE
Plan_11_2021_07 – UPDATE PLUS NOTICE OF TWO OPEN SESSIONS 22 AND 25 JULY, 2021
Plan_12_2021_09 – FEEDBACK FROM OPEN SESSIONS, 150 ATTENDED; LANDOWNERS TO SUBMIT SKETCH PLANS BY 31 AUG, 2021
Plan_13_2021_10 – INVITATION TO CONSULTATION MEETINGS ON 4TH AND 7TH NOVEMBER, 2021
Plan_14_2021_11 – AS ABOVE
Plan_15_2021_12 – qS & aS
Plan_16_2022_02 – UPDATES
Plan_17_2022_04 – UPDATES ON sEA, TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT ETC PROGRESS
Plan_18_2022_08 – UPDATES ON REPORTS, bUCKS pLANNING mEETING, SITE RECOMMENDATIONS
Plan_19_2022_10 – REG 14 EXPLAINED
Plan_20_2022_12 – pc approval for draft NP
Plan_21_2023_01 – official consultation explanation; (FILES OF DRAFT INCLUDED ON THIS PAGE)
Plan_22_2023_02 – COMMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED BY; ALSO PUBLIC SESSION ON 24 JAN
Plan_23_2023_04 – THANKS – REG 14 COMPLETED, DESCRIPTION OF REG 15.
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SOME FULL ELECTRONIC EDITIONS OF WHITCHURCH NEWS, TO TRIANGULATE THE ABOVE:
April 2023, page
March 2023
February 2023, notice of consultation period, page 7 2023_02 Feb 2023_web
January 2023, pages 6-7 description of the process 2023_01 Jan 2023_web
December 2022, pages 6-7 notice of PC approval for draft, etc 2022_12 Dec 2022_web
October 2022, Pages 6-7 info about Reg 14 process 2022_10 Oct 2022_web
August 2022, pages 6-7 an update 2022_08 Aug 2022_web
April 2022, page 6 an update 2022_04 April 2022_web
February 2022, Pages 6-7 an update on HNA,SEA etc 2022_02 February 2022_web
December 2021, Pages 6-7 some feedback from November public meetings 2021_12 December 2021_web
A limited number of paper copies will be made available to anyone unable to access electronic copies.
Come and talk to us : The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group will be holding an open “turn-up and ask” session on Saturday January 14th 2pm-5pm at St John’s Church Hall. Please do drop-in and talk to us and ask questions or provide comments.
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DECEMBER 2022 update:
Dear Whitchurch residents,
The draft village neighbourhood plan is 99% ready to share with you but we are waiting upon some final details to be provided without which we can’t publish it on this website. We are working hard to close these last points and will update you soon. We don’t anticipate a long delay and will provide updates via village Facebook groups when it is available to review 🙂 as the saying goes, “Watch this space”
NOVEMBER 2022 update:
We are entering important and exciting stages for the plan:
The Parish Council have received an overview of all the work that has gone into the plan, following which they will be asked to vote on whether the outline plan should be submitted for Section 14 of the rules. The plan would then be inspected over the next few weeks. After that, the outline plan will come back to our villagers to be invited to inspect and submit comments. Shortly a link will be placed on this page which will give you access to all the work we have done and received, including from residents.
OCTOBER 2022 UPDATE:
Coming soon…Regulation 14 Pre-Submission Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan for you to comment upon
Do you want to know what the Whitchurch NeighbourhoodPlan will be recommending?
Are you interested to know what site(s) are being put forward for inclusion?
Do you want to know what site(s) are not going to be put forwards for inclusion?
Do you want to know how the new Whitchurch Setlement Boundary will be drawn and what that will mean for
the village?
How about proposed Green Space protection and views that are cherished and that we need to protect?
What will all this mean for Whitchurch between now and 2040?
We are now a few weeks away from finalising the Pre-Submission Neighbourhood Plan and are working with the
Parish Council it will be published so that everyone in the village can read and comment upon what is being proposed. In
parallel we will advise all landowners who put sites forward for consideration if they have been successful.
Once the Pre-Submission Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan is published there will be a minimum of 6 weeks for comments to
be made by residents, Bucks Council and any statutory bodies.
We will update the village very soon on Regulation 14 consultation so that residents know how and where to access
the Pre-Submission plan and how to comment. The Steering Group will ensure residents have opportunities to talk to us and
ask quesons to ensure you feel properly informed. This is “Regulation 14 Consultation” and at the end of the consultation period all feedback from all groups and individuals will be considered and if appropriate changes made to the plan.
After Regulation 14 consultation is complete a final plan will be submitted to Bucks Council for review and they will in turn appoint an independent inspector to review the final plan, thereby ensuring that correct processes have been followed and that all regulations and requirements have been correctly met. This process is Regulation 16 and at the end of it (including making any further amendments required by the independent inspector) the Neighbourhood Plan will be put to the village residents in a referendum requiring a majority of those who vote to say “Yes” if the plan is to be “made” and fullyincorporated into Bucks Planning regulations.
We are working on a timetable for the RegulaTIon 14 Consultation with Whitchurch residents and are looking
forward to finally answering the questions posed at the beginning of this article. Updates to follow soon and thank you for your patience and support.
YOUR VILLAGE, YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN,
Your Vote.
JULY 2022 UPDATE!
We haven’t been in touch for a while but we have been busy on behalf of the village. We are really encouraged to see that many other villages in Bucks are pushing to complete Neighbourhood Plans.
Congratulations to the residents of Cuddington who, on June 30th, overwhelmingly voted in favour of their Neighbourhood Plan by 173 for and just 11 against. Meanwhile Granborough is getting very close to putting its Neighbourhood Plan to a village wide referendum.
Exciting times and we want to be close behind.
We have come a long way since our last update :
– Housing Needs survey completed
– Housing Design Guide completed
– Greens Spaces recommendations completed
– Special views recommendations completed
– Settlement Boundary completed
– Strategic & Environmental assessment near completion
Most significantly the first draft of the proposed Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan was received just days ago and is now under review. The Group have a lot of work to do to turn the draft into a version suitable for review by the independent inspector but it’s really exciting to have finally reached this stage.
First face-to-face discussions with Buckinghamshire planning have now taken place and the Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan, when voted for by residents, will become incorporated into the Buckinghamshire Local Plan and local planning regulations.
The group are in the process of finalising site recommendations for inclusion in the Neighbourhood Plan based on the evidence built up and your feedback from our consultation meetings. YOU will have the deciding vote when the Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan is put to the village in our very own referendum. The timetable will follow.
When we embarked on this process there were eleven sites put forward by landowners for consideration. Without a
Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan all of those sites, plus those that didn’t put land forward first me, could make an
application to build and as a village we would remain in the endless cycle of objecting to planning applications but being
powerless. We can do something about that.
Your Village, Your Neighbourhood Plan,
April 2022 Update:
In the last weeks we have received draft copies of the Site Environmental Assessment Report (SEA) plus the draft Design Code. Comments have been collated and returned. The SEA along with the technical assessment of each site, which at the time of writing is still outstanding, will help us to determine the most suitable site/s for Whitchurch in conjunction with the policies that have been discussed at the village consultations. We hope to receive the technical assessment soon. Work has also been carried out with regard to finalising additional protection n to our valued green spaces.
In November we were advised that a new housing target for the village would be determined soon, but it has since been made clear to the steering group that Buckinghamshire County Council will not be in a position to provide us with the definitive number of new homes that Whitchurch is expected to provide – for some time. The creation of a Local Plan for Buckinghamshire, that will ultimately replace the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan, is a long way into the future. As a result of this we will have conversations soon with planning officers to work through this topic. In order for the NP to be successfully adopted it not only has to be approved by residents, it also has to be acceptable to Buckinghamshire. Our aim remains to secure the best possible outcome for the village, but the official designation of Whitchurch as a large village, by dint of its services not its population, will keep these conversations challenging.
It is important to keep i mind that the successful creation and adoption of a Neighbourhood Plan is the only way we can control where and what type of housing is built in the village. We will bring you further updates as we draw these processes to a conclusion.
7th November 2021 – having held our four public consultations with residents this week – it was great to see so many of you, and to hear your questions – here are electronic copies of both the files we produced for you:
2021 Nov 8 NP Doc November 4th and 7th V3
The questionnaire should be completed using Microsoft Word, please:
November 2021 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR RESIDENTS
Should you wish to email us your completed questionnaire, please read both files carefully then send your responses to info.whitchurchplan@gmail.com by 14th November 2021. THANK YOU!
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Your Vote.
APRIL 2022
In the last weeks we have received draft copies of the Site Environmental Assessment Report (SEA) plus the draft Design Code. Comments have been collated and returned. The SEA along with the technical assessment of each site, which at the time of writing is still outstanding, will help us to determine the most suitable site/s for Whitchurch in conjunction with the policies that have been discussed at the village consultations. We hope to receive the technical assessment soon. Work has also been carried out with regard to finalising additional protection n to our valued green spaces.
In November we were advised that a new housing target for the village would be determined soon, but it has since been made clear to the steering group that Buckinghamshire County Council will not be in a position to provide us with the definitive number of new homes that Whitchurch is expected to provide – for some time. The creation of a Local Plan for Buckinghamshire, that will ultimately replace the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan, is a long way into the future. As a result of this we will have conversations soon with planning officers to work through this topic. In order for the NP to be successfully adopted it not only has to be approved by residents, it also has to be acceptable to Buckinghamshire. Our aim remains to secure the best possible outcome for the village, but the official designation of Whitchurch as a large village, by dint of its services not its population, will keep these conversations challenging.
It is important to keep i mind that the successful creation and adoption of a Neighbourhood Plan is the only way we can control where and what type of housing is built in the village. We will bring you further updates as we draw these processes to a conclusion.
FEBRUARY 2022 UPDATE:
We might have been quiet recently, but a lot is happening in the background.
We are still waiting for confirmation from Buvkinghamshire County Council of the housing numbers planned for Whitchurch following the adoption of the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP) in the autumn. We had anticipated having this number before Christmas but we are hopeful it will be confirmed very soon.
Housing Needs Assessment
This has now been completed by an external agency, all part of the expertise paid for by the grant that covers all the Neighbourhood Plan work. It has confirmed the need for more smaller family homes in particular and is in line with feedback received from residents during the consultation process. This will help us to plan for the right types of houses as part of the N P.
Design Code
On a cold and wet December afternoon Cllr Mel Perry and Neighbourhood Plan Chair Keith Armour spent several hours walking the length and breadth of the village with experts from Aecom, looking at the style of buildings that make up our village. Once complete the Design Code will help shape the style of buildings that might be built in the future under the Whitchurch Neighbourhood PLan.
Green Spaces
Our analysis of the green spaces within Whitchurch is now close to finalisation so that recommendations can be made about any that should be included within the eventual Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan.
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Report
This report, again produced by our consultants is being worked on and looks at the possible impacts of the emerging Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan, compliance with policies and will help us to understand and evaluate the relative merits or otherwise of the various sites that are under consideration for inclusion.
What’s Next?
Once all the repoirts are complete, we will, with the input of our consultants be able to evaluate each site against the policies that you have all fed into and arrive at a draft proposal with numbers, types,locations and styles of houses clearly defined. These draft proposals will then go to the independent inspector for examination and approval. If approved the draft will be put to the village in a referendum.
The next few months are going to be very busy for the team and we will update Whitchurch residents as we edge ever closer to the end of the process and an eventual village referendum.
DONE – Housing Needs Assessment
AWAITED – Bucks C C/VALP planned housing numbers.
– Design Code
– NP Group’s finalisation of Green Spaces
– Strategic Environmental Assessment Report (SEA)
AFTER WHICH – completed reports received = evaluation of those against each land site, then becomes draft proposal for examination. Leads to draft proposals for independent inspector’s examination. if approved, then the draft will be put to the village in a referedum.
DECEMBER 2021 update:
· The Neighbourhood Plan is in the process of agreeing key documents which are being worked on by Aecom supported by the group.
· Currently there is a draft Housing Needs Assessment and Scoping document, both of which are being evaluated by the group with comments to be completed shortly.
· The Scoping document will lead to a formal Strategic and Environmental Assessment (SEA) of all sites for inclusion in the Plan.
· A Housing and Development design code is underway.
Both the SEA and Design Code are not expected to be completed until February 2022.
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Thank you to everyone who came to the November meetings.
Queries to: info.whitchurchplan@gmail.com
Below are some topics that were raised:
Why are we developing a Neighbourhood Plan?
A Neighbourhood Plan allows the village significant new control over the future location, number and types of housing development in the parish until 2040.
How does the plan get approved?
An independent Government Inspector must approve the final draft Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan to ensure compliance before it can be put to the residents on the Parish electoral register to vote Yes or No. If YES it will be formally adopted into local planning regulations.
How is the Neighbourhood Plan being developed in our parish?
Grants from Central Government were received. In spring of 2021 all landowners were contacted to understand where land might be available. In July of 2021 a series of meetings were held to share these sites with residents. Site owners were then asked to provide initial ideas as to what type of homes they propose to build and were shared with the village in four meetings in November 2021.
Who else is involved?
All the sites that choose to submit outline plans will be subject to expert technical, strategic and environmental assessment. This comes from Buckinghamshire Council, Locality, Aecom, Historic England, Natural England and the Environment Agency amongst others.
What type and style of homes will be built?
A housing ‘code’ will be part of the plan. We anticipate houses built in a predominantly traditional style using traditonal materials.
A formal housing survey is being conducted but smaller, affordable and downsizing homes are anticipated as the main focus.
Who decides how many houses we are expected to build?
The VALP (Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan) was finally adopted by Buckinghamshire Council in the autumn of 2021 and it is anticipated that Whitchurch will have a formal new homes target set by Buckingham Council before the end of 2021.
What is a settlement boundary and why does it matter?
Once the sites for inclusion in the plan have been decided a settlement boundary will be drawn around both exiting houses and all allocated new site/s. The
have one today.
Who decides where the houses get built?
The Neighbourhood Plan process take inputs from the technical assessments as to the appropriateness and suitability of each site in the process and will also take into account the policies that all the consultations have helped to form with regard to the style, size and location of new homes within the village. An independent examiner will ensure all processes have been followed and that the necessary evidence exists. The Neighbourhood Plan put to the village will include specific new proposed sites.
A Neighbourhood Plan is always a YES/NO vote for those sites and does not propose different optons.
How will the school cope with the extra numbers?
Approx. 4 out of 10 of pupils in Whitchurch Combined School live out of Parish. If there were more school aged children in the village over time there would be more village children in the school.
To what extent can the Neighbourhood Plan seek to improve the existing infrastructure, facilities and amenties in the village?
A Neighbourhood Plan is a specific type of plan that is concerned with the building of new homes or premises and can also provide additional protection for important green spaces. Once adopted a Neighbourhood Plan becomes part of planning law, but as such it can only relate to issues that involve planning consent. Volume and speed of traffic through the village is a big issue, but whilst the highways authority will oversee access to any new developments, The Neighbourhood Plan can’t demand general improvements to the local highway network. Once final sites have been identified discussions will take place with landowners/developers and where appropriate the group will seek support for such traffic management measures that might be appropriate and permitted by highways.
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7th November 2021 – having held our four public consultations with residents this week – it was great to see so many of you, and to hear your questions – here are electronic copies of both the files we produced for you:
2021 Nov 8 NP Doc November 4th and 7th V3
Please complete this file in Microsoft Word:
November 2021 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR RESIDENTS
Should you wish to email us your completed questionnaire, please send to: info.whitchurchplan@gmail.com by 14th November 2021. THANK YOU!
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1st NOVEMBER, 2021 – we have reached the stage of second public consultations with you, our Whitchurch electorate. We cannot stress enough, how important it is that you join us, to give us feedback on sites under consideration for building, of what type, and how many. (some have submitted changes since we last showed them to you). We will also ask you for your feedback on policies to help protect the nature in Whitchurch.
Please email info.whitchurchplan@gmail.com to book your seat/s for one of these sessions:
Session 1: Thursday 4th November at 6pm
Session 2: Thursday 4th November at 7:30pm
Session 3: Sunday 7th November at 1.30pm
Session 4: Sunday 7th November at 3pm.
Thank you to the more than 150 residents who attended the two recent public consultation meetings held on Thursday 22nd July and Sunday 25th July. The feedback that you all gave us is incredibly helpful as further input into our policy document. We will be keeping you informed, regularly, and we will run our next public consultation meetings on Thursday November 4th and Sunday November 7th. Please keep the dates and keep an eye on this page, as well as the Whitchurch News for more details.
Why a Neighbourhood Plan for Whitchurch?
A: We know from the 2019 village questionnaire that there is significant frustration and even anger around ongoing development in the village. Residents repeatedly object to new planning applications, but without an adopted Neighbourhood Plan (NP), the planning authorities can only review each application “on its own merits” and against strict planning criteria. Hence new developments keep being approved.
The argument that as a village we have taken our fair share of additional housing has not, and will not, protect us from new development as is clear from all the new housing that has been built or approved in the past two years alone. The need for additional housing at a national and at a county level is overriding and simply saying “no” to development in Whitchurch will not stop it from happening. A Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan is our way out of the never-ending cycle of planning applications, village objections and disappointment.
Once adopted a NP becomes the key tool the planning authorities will look to when making decisions on proposed plans within the village. NPs have a legal standing within the planning framework. Having a NP allows village residents to have our voices heard as to where in the village is deemed most appropriate to new housing development, along with types of housing and the amount that is considered appropriate to the needs of the village in future years.
What land has been put forward by landowners for consideration?
A : Click on this link to see the sites that have been forward by landowners for consideration:
2021-Aug-12-Site-Maps-Overview_-1-5000-@-A2_Rev-B-1 rotated
(Should the map open at the wrong angle on your hardware, please right click on it, then select rotate clockwise until it is the right way.)
What is the latest status?
By August 31st all landowners wanting a site to be considered within a future Whitchurch NP must provide initial sketch plans including the number and types of houses, alongside practical issues including access and traffic management. These sites will soon go through an independent Site Environmental Assessment (SEA) which evaluates each site to assess appropriateness and viability. Historic England, Natural England, the Environment Agency and Buckinghamshire Council are all involved. At the end of the SEA process each site will have in-effect a red, amber or green viability status. This will help in selection of the most suitable site(s) for the Neighbourhood Plan, alongside a policy document which is work-in-progress.
What is the process?
A : Click on this link to understand more: 2021 July NP Summary
Do I get a vote?
A : All of the electorate will get a yes/no vote on whether to adopt a finally proposed Whitchurch Neighbourhood Plan. We anticipate that will be in Q2 2022
VISION SESSION MONDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2019, with Consultants,O’Neill Homer: Whitchurch NP_draft vision paper_Nov 2019
