Ashdon Neighbourhood Plan
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Here
we answer some of the most commonly asked qustions about the neighbourhood plan.
Our village our plan ...
Why does Ashdon need a Neighbourhood Plan?
The Localism Act of 2011 offers our community a say in the future of our village by allowing us to create policies to guide its development. We can do this by creating a Neighbourhood Plan (NP), which has legal status and carries weight when planning applications are decided. Our NP will help Ashdon ensure that development matches our needs both now and in the future. It can also identify supporting infrastructure and facilities to maintain and improve our quality of life.
Who creates the Plan?
What the Neighbourhood Plan cannot do
The Neighbourhood Plan sits beneath the umbrella of the Uttlesford District Local Plan and it cannot stop development that is already proposed in that document nor can its policies conflict with the District Local Plan or National Policies. However, it can drill down and address policy on a local level and allow us to craft our own village opportunities and address challenges.
What happens next?
The intention to create a NP has already been registered with Uttlesford District Council as the first step in this process. Opinions will be sought via questionnaires, informal consultation events, meetings and our website. The timetable for producing a NP is roughly three years so there is plenty of time for at least three large consultation events as well as smaller consultation meetings.
The Parish Council has set up a small independent Steering Group made up of local residents and one Parish Council member. This group will only guide the process. We need lots of involvement and help from the community. Once the NP has gone through the consultations and is approved by an outside inspector, who will check that it meets the legal requirements, the final stage will be to vote on it in a village referendum and it must be approved by the majority of people who take part for it to become effective.
How do I get involved?
The Localism Act of 2011 offers our community a say in the future of our village by allowing us to create policies to guide its development. We can do this by creating a Neighbourhood Plan (NP), which has legal status and carries weight when planning applications are decided. Our NP will help Ashdon ensure that development matches our needs both now and in the future. It can also identify supporting infrastructure and facilities to maintain and improve our quality of life.
Who creates the Plan?
The residents of Ashdon create our Neighbourhood Plan. It is a community project and will explore what we value in the village, what we dislike and how we see the village changing and going forward in the future. We will be looking for views on housing, planning and design, green spaces and the environment. We can also cover views on roads and getting around, history, education, sports facilities, community facilities, local businesses and anything else the community wants to explore. We need input from residents, businesses, landowners and community organisations.
The Neighbourhood Plan sits beneath the umbrella of the Uttlesford District Local Plan and it cannot stop development that is already proposed in that document nor can its policies conflict with the District Local Plan or National Policies. However, it can drill down and address policy on a local level and allow us to craft our own village opportunities and address challenges.
What happens next?
The intention to create a NP has already been registered with Uttlesford District Council as the first step in this process. Opinions will be sought via questionnaires, informal consultation events, meetings and our website. The timetable for producing a NP is roughly three years so there is plenty of time for at least three large consultation events as well as smaller consultation meetings.
The Parish Council has set up a small independent Steering Group made up of local residents and one Parish Council member. This group will only guide the process. We need lots of involvement and help from the community. Once the NP has gone through the consultations and is approved by an outside inspector, who will check that it meets the legal requirements, the final stage will be to vote on it in a village referendum and it must be approved by the majority of people who take part for it to become effective.
How do I get involved?
- By volunteering: The Steering Group is looking for volunteers of all ages to contribute in all kinds of ways. Do you have knowledge or a specific interest, such as local history, sport or natural history or social housing? Would you like to help at consultation events, deliver leaflets or do you have specific skills such as design, mapping, IT or architecture? Are you enthusiastic about shaping the future of where you live?
- By giving feedback: Your views are essential throughout the process. So please do complete our questionnaires when produced, attend consultation events and make suggestions and comments. Keep in touch through this website.
Consultation
Our first main consultation event
was in the village hall
on Friday 18th October 2019 and Saturday 19th October 2019.
Our second main consultation event in May 2020 was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic and replaced by a NP Questionnaire in Autumn 2021.
Regulation 14 (pre-submission) consultation for the Neighbourhood Plan and Design Code ran from 17th September to 31st October 2021.
Regulation 16 (submission) consultation – this is being conducted by UDC and runs from 8am Thursday 14th April to 5pm on Monday 30th May 2022.
The submission documents can be found on our Documents webpage.
Regulation 16 (submission) consultation – this is being conducted by UDC and runs from 8am Thursday 14th April to 5pm on Monday 30th May 2022.
The submission documents can be found on our Documents webpage.