Flitton, Greenfield & Pulloxhill Neighbourhood Plan (Referendum
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Flitton, Greenfield & Pulloxhill Neighbourhood Plan 2019-2035 Referendum Version March 2021 Contents 1. Introduction 4 2. Neighbourhood Plan Process 5 Rationale for a combined Neighbourhood Plan 5 3. The Strategic Policy Context 7 The National Planning Policy Framework 7 Sustainable Development 7 Local Planning Documents 7 4. Description of Parishes 9 Development of the villages and their boundaries 9 Landscape 11 Green Infrastructure (GI) 11 Biodiversity 12 Recreation Facilities 12 Community Facilities 12 Education 13 Local Business & Employment 13 Population & Household Data 13 5. Consultation 16 Green Infrastructure Plan 16 Youth Survey 16 Publicity 17 6. Vision & Objectives 18 7. Rural Character & Natural Environment 20 Landscape 20 Nature Conservation 21 8. Location of New Development 24 Settlement Envelopes 24 Important Countryside Gaps 25 Important Countryside Gap - Greenfield Road 25 9. Local Distinctiveness 27 Key Views 27 Important Hedgerows 27 Greenstone Ridge Sandstone 28 10. Heritage 30 Flitton and Greenfield 30 Pulloxhill 31 Archaeology 32 11. Design of New Development 33 High Quality Design 33 Flitton 33 Greenfield 33 Pulloxhill 33 12. New Housing 35 Housing 35 1 Affordability 35 Housing Mix 36 13. Community Facilities 37 14. Recreation & Local Green Space 40 15. Traffic & Transport 42 Provision for Cyclists, Horse Riders & Pedestrians 43 Parking 44 16. Local Employment & Business 45 Local Businesses 45 17. Implementation & Parish Council Actions 47 18. Monitoring & Review 49 ANNEXE A1: POLICIES MAP 50 ANNEXE A2: POLICIES MAP (ZOOMED) 51 ANNEXE B1: BIODIVERSITY MAP 52 ANNEXE B2: IMPORTANT HEDGEROWS MAP 53 ANNEXE B3: KEY VIEWS MAP 54 ANNEXE B4: NEW ROUTES/RIGHTS OF WAY 55 Glossary 56 Table of Objectives/Policies 61 Produced by Flitton & Greenfield Parish Council and Pulloxhill Parish Council with the help of planning consultant, Sally Chapman of Chapman Planning. 2 Foreword This document has been compiled by a small group of volunteers from within the community on your behalf. They have spent the last couple of years gathering the evidence upon which the plan is based. The Steering Group has met regularly at The Shelter in Pulloxhill from humble beginnings; working out exactly how a Neighbourhood Plan is created, to now producing the final plan document. This has required the group to give up much of their free time. Many of you have met us at events and shared your stories and experiences of the villages and pushed us to tackle some of the more difficult issues we face. It will be an uphill struggle on some fronts, but I’m confident these difficulties can be overcome. We live in a beautiful and rural part of the country surrounded by countryside and greenspace. Many of the people I have met in the process of creating this plan have impressed on me the value they place on this greenspace and the relative tranquility that comes with living in a small village. The Green Infrastructure Plan, which has been compiled as part of this plan, documents the many wonderful greenspaces we all enjoy every day along with projects and actions to improve them. I for one can’t think of many things more important than creating an ever-improving natural environment. We raise children in small villages to allow them the opportunity to experience nature and appreciate its importance in our lives. This love of our natural environment stays with us and we enjoy living and working here and many stay through to retirement. This plan is primarily about steering the sustainable development of our Parishes. A significant part of this task is protecting and improving the environment, but we must also have our say on what sustainable development is, and how the Parishes can evolve whilst maintaining their essential look and feel. As small rural villages we have seen an onslaught of unsustainable and inappropriate development in recent times. This has been the primary concern of many of you during the consultation process. This plan represents your wishes as a community and allows us to have our say on how our own communities evolve. Your help has been invaluable in determining a sensible way forward, providing growth where needed and in identifying the type of development required. One thing to remember is that the creation of this plan is just the beginning. In order to achieve the vision herein, your help will be required. We will need your support in many ways I am sure, from further consultation to possible volunteering opportunities to simply pressing your Parish Council along if you ever feel progress is too slow. Keep pushing and we’ll get there together. For the many people who have visited our events along the way and who have taken the time to provide views and ideas, I am extremely grateful. To the Steering Group who have worked so very hard in organising the many workshops and events and compiling the evidence base we should all be very thankful. It has taken much dedication and a huge time commitment to come this far and it has never been an easy task, so once again, thank you. Craig Prest, Chair of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group. 3 1. Introduction 1.1. Welcome to your Neighbourhood Plan (NP). This Plan has been written on your behalf by a Steering Group with members from the Parishes of Flitton and Greenfield, and Pulloxhill. The Plan outlines the wishes and needs of the residents following various consultation events and surveys in which all residents were invited to take part. 1.2. The Localism Act 2011 enables local communities to have a greater say in how their communities will change and develop in the future, including what is important to protect and enhance and how any development might occur. Local communities do this through the production of a Neighbourhood Plan. There are two Parish Councils in this area, Flitton & Greenfield, and Pulloxhill (referred to as FGP). The Councils considered that the similar characteristics of the Parishes and the shared concerns and issues of the residents warranted a joint Neighbourhood Plan, and the Steering Group included representatives from each of the Parishes. The Plan covers the timeframe from 2019 to 2035. 1.3. The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (NPSG), using information gathered through the events and surveys, together with factual evidence covering a range of important land use and environmental issues, have produced a Vision for the Parishes and produce this Neighbourhood Plan, supported by professional guidance along the way. 1.4. The Neighbourhood Plan: - • sets out the Objectives and Policies for local development, and Parish Council Actions; • lists the issues to be tackled and resolved over the Plan period from 2019 to 2035 (this reflects the period for the emerging Local Plan); • considers whether there should be more housing, employment and or community facilities within the Parishes and if so, the type of development it should be; • addresses transport and access issues including traffic on our roads, and opportunities for walking and cycling; • contains policies for the protection, enhancement and creation of biodiversity - including green spaces and access to the countryside; and • contains policies for the protection of community facilities and our historic built assets. 4 2. Neighbourhood Plan Process 2.1. Producing a Neighbourhood Plan is a formal process involving several stages, governed by the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012, but critically important, is that the Plan is developed with continuing community involvement. In order to rigorously test the policies of a Neighbourhood Plan, an Independent Examination is carried out. The Neighbourhood Plan must conform to the following ‘basic conditions’: • consistency with local planning policy; • demonstrates how the Plan will contribute towards sustainable development; • regard to national policy; • general conformity with strategic local policy; • contributing to the achievement of sustainable development; • compatibility with EU obligations; and • meet prescribed conditions and comply with prescribed matters. 2.2. The Plan has passed Examination and will soon be voted upon in a referendum by Parish residents and if a simple majority ‘yes’ vote is achieved then that means that the Neighbourhood Plan will be ‘made’ by Central Bedfordshire Council and comes into force as a planning document with legal weight in decision-making. Rationale for a combined Neighbourhood Plan 2.3. There are several reasons for combining the Parish of Pulloxhill with that of Flitton & Greenfield for producing the Neighbourhood Plan. Many local characteristics are shared such as landscape, heritage and the history and development of each village to the current day. Community facilities and services are shared by residents. Similarly, any detrimental impact to existing transport, communication and environmental issues would broadly affect all residents in both Parishes to the same extent given their proximity. 2.4. Pulloxhill has developed with a more traditional village “core” whilst Flitton & Greenfield has expanded along the roadsides of Flitton, Greenfield and the inclusive hamlet of Wardhedges. However, each Parish faces the same issue whereby existing settlement envelopes allow only limited scope for further development beyond infill or demolish and rebuild. Pulloxhill village and the combination of Flitton, Greenfield and Wardhedges are designated ‘small’ by Central Bedfordshire Council meaning the Local Plan treats both Parishes the same way. 2.5. Given the broad similarities of key issues facing the Parishes in the future the decision was made by both Parish Councils to produce a combined Neighbourhood Plan. This decision was agreed by Central Bedfordshire Council and the Neighbourhood Area with the boundary consistent with the two Parishes was designated on the 1st December 2015. The map showing the boundary is set out below. 5 Map showing Neighbourhood Area 6 3. The Strategic Policy Context The National Planning Policy Framework 3.1. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) version was published in February 2019 and sets out the Government’s approach to sustainable development.