Odiham and North Warnborough Neighbourhood Plan 2014 - 2032
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ODIHAM AND NORTH WARNBOROUGH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN 2014 - 2032 CONSULTATION STATEMENT Published by Odiham Parish Council for consultation under the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations July 2016 1 ODIHAM AND NORTH WARNBOROUGH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN: CONSULTATION STATEMENT JULY 2016 CONTENTS Page 1. Compliance with Regulation 15 3 2. Background to consultation 4 Housing Sites’ Survey 2012 4 InOdiham Open Day 5 Preparations towards a neighbourhood development plan 5 Professional guidance 6 Hart Local Plan 6 3. Aims of engagement and consultation 7 4. Overview of engagement and consultation methods 8 Information sharing and consultation methods 9 Summary log of consultation activity 11 Consulting widely 11 Harder-to-reach groups 11 Providing feedback throughout the process 12 5. Developing and testing the options 12 (non-statutory consultation) Raising awareness and understanding the issues 12 Consultation one: scoping policy content (Jan 2015) 13 Consultation two: testing draft policy proposals (May 2015) 15 6. Pre-Submission Consultation (Regulation 14) 16 7. Conclusion 18 Appendices to the Consultation Statement Appendix 1: Summary Log of Engagement and Consultation Activity 19 Appendix 2: Consultation Evidence File references 30 Appendix 3: Consultation letter to Statutory Bodies (Reg 14) 31 Appendix 4: List of all Consultees 33 Appendix 5: Summary log of Pre-Submission Representations 39 (Regulation 14 Consultation) Appendix 6: rCOH Pre-Submission (Regulation 14) Report 159 Appendix 7: NPSG Pre-Submission (Regulation 14) Report 166 2 ODIHAM AND NORTH WARNBOROUGH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN: CONSULTATION STATEMENT JULY 2016 1. COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATION 15 (Neighbourhood Plan Regulations 2012) 1.1 Odiham Parish Council submits its Neighbourhood Plan for Odiham and North Warnborough (NP) to Hart District Council in July 2016 for independent examination. 1.2 This Consultation Statement complies with requirements of Regulation 15 of the Neighbourhood Plan Regulations and provides the response to Regulation 14 of the Neighbourhood Plan Regulations (pre-submission statutory consultation). It has been prepared by the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (NPSG) to fulfil the legal obligations of Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012. 1.3 Section 15(2) of Part 5 of the Regulations requires that a Consultation Statement should: o Contain details of the persons and bodies who were consulted about the proposed Neighbourhood Development Plan; o Explain how they were consulted; o Summarise the main issues and concerns raised by the persons consulted; o Describe how these issues and concerns have been considered and, where relevant, addressed in the proposed Neighbourhood Development Plan. 1.4 This Consultation Statement summarises all statutory and non-statutory consultation undertaken with the community and other relevant statutory bodies and stakeholders in developing the NP. In particular, it describes how concerns have been addressed and what changes have been made to the final NP as a result of statutory pre-submission consultation. 1.5 Changes are included in the NP submitted to the Local Planning Authority which can be cross-referenced to comments received as part of statutory consultation. 1.6 A Consultation Evidence File providing a record of all consultation exercises, comments and feedback accompanies this Consultation Statement in Appendix 2. Enquiries regarding this Statement should be made to: Stephen Blandford, Chairman NPSG e-mail: [email protected] 3 ODIHAM AND NORTH WARNBOROUGH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN: CONSULTATION STATEMENT JULY 2016 2. BACKGROUND TO CONSULTATION 2.1 In its spring newsletter delivered to all households in the parish in April 2014, Odiham Parish Council asked for volunteers from the community to come forward to help prepare a neighbourhood development plan. (Appendix 2 CEF 1) 2.2 In July 2014, a Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (NPSG) was formalised, under the auspices of Odiham Parish Council, comprising 17 volunteers from across the parish with various backgrounds, ages and interests, including 2 parish councillors. Fortnightly SG meetings began in the Parish Room. Inevitably during the course of the process, there were some changes in the membership of the SG; and other volunteers joined the wider team. 2.3 In August 2014, the NP area was designated by HDC and initial funding was secured from the OPC. Further funding during the plan came from HDC, the Community Rights Programme and the Community Development Foundation. 2.4 Before work towards a Neighbourhood Plan began in summer 2014, a body of useful material existed from earlier initiatives in the parish and at District level: Housing sites survey 2012 2.5 In preparing their Local Plan during 2012, HDC made it clear that it was keen for individual parishes to take the lead in defining appropriate sites for housing development to meet district housing allocations for their area. Therefore, OPC surveyed its residents in autumn 2012 on the then SHLAA sites in the parish. This comprised a leaflet with an overview and map posted to every household, supported by information online and in Odiham Library. (Appendix 2 CEF 2) 2.6 At the time, the housing allocation target prescribed by HDC for Odiham parish was 180 houses, of which permission had been granted for 89 and an application was in process for a further 20. Taking into account windfalls, OPC was consulting to find appropriate sites for another 40 houses within the area designated by the NP. 2.7 More than 400 residents responded. However, there was a tendency for Odiham residents to vote for sites in North Warnborough and vice versa. Since there are more Odiham residents (and there were more returns from Odiham) the Parish Council looked for an analysis method which did not simply allow Odiham residents to outvote North Warnborough. The full report is at Appendix 2 CEF 2. OPC was advised by HDC to follow up with a further consultation with recommended options, and started to prepare for this in the autumn of 2013 based on the feedback from residents in the earlier survey. At that point, HDC was advised by their Local 4 ODIHAM AND NORTH WARNBOROUGH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN: CONSULTATION STATEMENT JULY 2016 Plan Inspector that more work on housing numbers was required so OPC postponed these activities until the way forward was clearer. InOdiham Open Day 2.8 Meanwhile, another body had been exploring views on how the parish should develop. InOdiham is a community interest company comprising retailers, local businesses and interested individuals who are active in organising events within the parish such as the Xmas Extravaganza and Farmers’ Markets. See www.inodiham.co.uk In January 2014, 155 Odiham residents and business people attended an InOdiham event in The Cross Barn and gave their views on several key questions from what they like about Odiham to how it could be improved. A list of comments made, plus an analysis is available at Appendix 2 CEF 3. This information was a useful snapshot of views in the parish before the Neighbourhood Plan began in earnest. Preparations towards an NP 2.9 Whilst initially Councillors considered it was premature for the parish to start work on a neighbourhood plan, in spring 2014 it was decided that work could begin, running broadly in tandem with Hart’s emerging revised Local Plan. Accordingly, in late spring OPC began the process of seeking volunteers to form a steering group to start work on preparing a neighbourhood development plan. Initially OPC proposed three tangible areas of focus for the NP, and invited their new team of volunteers to ask the community to consider and expand further on these in early engagement during summer 2014: • Which sites should be built on to accommodate HDC’s target allocation for the area; • What community facilities for sport, recreation and open space should be provided with new housing; and • What could be done to help with affordability and priority for local people. That said, it was made clear to the public from the outset that nothing was set in stone by way of objectives, vision or detail regarding land use. It was for the community to shape the NP by having their say and making the NPSG aware of their views at each stage in the process. 5 ODIHAM AND NORTH WARNBOROUGH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN: CONSULTATION STATEMENT JULY 2016 Professional guidance 2.10 Throughout this process, the NPSG has been guided by comprehensive documentation available from bodies such as such as the Department for Communities and Local Government, Locality and Planning Aid England. 2.11 In addition, in June 2014 Towns Alive was commissioned to provide professional guidance during the early stages, including a draft strategy for engagement and consultation and a comprehensive handbook on suitable methods, with technical advice to be provided by planning consultants, rCOH. 2.12 rCOH is a firm with proven experience of helping deliver neighbourhood plans including in parishes where there is no approved Local Plan. rCOH became ONWNP’s principal advisers when Towns Alive ceased operating in autumn 2014. 2.13 Following a tailored workshop with the NPSG, these advisers were instrumental in helping to analyse feedback and make recommendations on plan content. As a result, the NPSG was able to prepare a draft vision and outline objectives for the community to consider by January 2015. As well as providing the NPSG with regular guidance by email and telephone, rCOH later helped analyse pre-submission feedback from statutory consultees and landowners/agents in December 2015 and advised on necessary changes to the draft NP before submission to Hart District Council. Hart Local Plan 2.14 Development of a neighbourhood development plan for Odiham and North Warnborough became a high priority in 2014 in the absence of an approved Local Plan for the district of Hart. While the latter is still to be completed, the NPSG has maintained a dialogue throughout this process with Hart District Council to ensure that the ONWNP is in line with HDC’s emerging strategy.