Oakham and Barleythorpe Neighbourhood Plan 2018 – 2036 Regulation 16 Submission Version October 2020 Prepared by Oakham and Barleythorpe Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group on behalf of Oakham Town Council and Barleythorpe Parish Council † Michael John Hinman (1949–2019) Michael Hinman was a member of the Oakham Neighbourhood Plan steering group from its very beginning. A scion of a local family, he always maintained close connections with Rutland even during his long professional career as an archivist with Coventry City Council. He returned to live right in the centre of Oakham when he retired, and immediately became immersed in local affairs. His knowledge of local history, combined with his ordered and analytical mind, made him uniquely qualified to participate in the drafting of the Oakham Neighbourhood Plan. We take this opportunity to place on record our appreciation of his invaluable contributions to this Plan. It is our loss that he did not live to see it in its completed state. Oakham and Barleythorpe Neighbourhood Plan Table of Contents 1 Introduction to Neighbourhood Plans ............................................................. 7 1.1 What is a Neighbourhood Plan? ............................................................................ 7 1.2 Why do Oakham and Barleythorpe need a Neighbourhood Plan? .................. 8 2 Creating a Neighbourhood Plan for Oakham and Barleythorpe .................. 10 2.1 The Process ............................................................................................................ 10 2.2 Key Community Events ......................................................................................... 13 2.3 Supplementary documents ................................................................................... 18 2.4 Next steps ................................................................................................................ 18 3 About Oakham and Barleythorpe ................................................................... 20 3.1 The Past ................................................................................................................... 20 3.2 The Present ............................................................................................................. 24 3.3 Key Issues ............................................................................................................... 30 4 Our Vision and Objectives .............................................................................. 32 4.1 Vision ........................................................................................................................ 32 4.2 Objectives ................................................................................................................ 33 5 Neighbourhood Plan Policies ......................................................................... 35 5.1 Policy 1: Residential Development Management .............................................. 36 5.2 Policy 2: Delivering Good Design ........................................................................ 42 5.3 Policy 3: Housing affordability and Local Connection ....................................... 46 5.4 Policy 4: Town Centre and Visitor Economy ...................................................... 50 5.5 Policy 5: Employment and Business Development ........................................... 57 5.6 Policy 6: Historic Heritage and Character ........................................................... 61 5.7 Policy 7: Community Facilities .............................................................................. 63 5.8 Policy 8: Important Views ...................................................................................... 66 5.9 Policy 9: Green Infrastructure and Recreational Facilities ............................... 69 5.10 Policy 10: Protection of the Natural Environment .............................................. 76 6 Monitoring and Implementation ..................................................................... 80 Appendix A: Community Aspirations ........................................................................ 82 Appendix B: Glossary of Terms ................................................................................ 84 Regulation 16, Submission Version iii Oakham and Barleythorpe Neighbourhood Plan Table of Figures Figure 1 Oakham and Barleythorpe Neighbourhood Plan Area ............................................. 9 Figure 2 Neighbourhood Plan Process Flow ....................................................................... 10 Figure 3 Regulatory Timeline .............................................................................................. 13 Figure 4 Table of Key Community Events ........................................................................... 17 Figure 5 Map of designated heritage assets Oakham ......................................................... 22 Figure 6 Map of designated heritage assets Barleythorpe ................................................... 23 Figure 7 Policy Map 1: Planned Limits of Development in Oakham and Barleythorpe ......... 41 Figure 8 Policy Map 4 Oakham Town Centre Map .............................................................. 56 Figure 9 Policy Map 8 Important Views ............................................................................... 68 Figure 10 Policy Map 9.1 Green Infrastructure (NE) ............................................................ 72 Figure 11 Policy Map 9.2 Green Infrastructure (SE) ............................................................ 73 Figure 12 Policy Map 9.3 Green Infrastructure (SW) ........................................................... 74 Figure 13 Policy Map 9.4 Green Infrastructure (NW) ........................................................... 75 Figure 14 Table of Use Classes .......................................................................................... 89 iv Regulation 16, Submission Version Oakham and Barleythorpe Neighbourhood Plan Foreword The Localism Act 2011 introduced support for the production of Neighbourhood Plans, providing an opportunity for residents to influence the way their area develops over the plan period. Oakham Town Council appointed the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group to develop a Plan on its behalf. This Plan provides positive planning for development and seeks to improve the lives of residents by ensuring the area grows in a way that is both socially and environmentally sustainable. Thanks must go to the group for the time and effort they have given to developing the Plan over the course of the last 36 months, guided and supported by Rural Community Council (Leicestershire & Rutland) and OpenPlan Consultants Ltd. Thanks also go to the Rutland County Council, for its support and help in the production of the Plan. Thanks are also due to the residents who have supported the process and actively given their input, using consultation events and surveys to express their concerns, interests and aspirations and their desire to influence the future of their community. Funding for the production of this Plan has been received from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and My Community – Locality (Locality is a national government membership network supporting local community organisations in assisting and the funding of neighbourhood plans). Regulation 16, Submission Version v Oakham and Barleythorpe Neighbourhood Plan Contributors to the development of the Neighbourhood Plan Present Past Community Christopher Clark Oliver Bird Paul Dowse Maureen Burns-Jones Janet Hughes Michael Hinman John Nowell Ann Lewis David Salkeld Frank Payne Liz Sanders Nick Taylor Oakham Town Council Adam Lowe Alf Dewis Michael Haley Jasmine Hopkins Anne Skipworth Paul Buxton Joy Clough Barleythorpe Parish Council David Blanksby David Jones Peter Goodwin Chris Marsland Malcolm Philips Support to the Oakham and Barleythorpe Neighbourhood Steering Group Allison Greaves – Clerk to the Oakham Town Council 6 vi Regulation 16, Submission Version Oakham and Barleythorpe Neighbourhood Plan Introduction to Neighbourhood Plans What is a Neighbourhood Plan? A Neighbourhood Plan is a document that sets a vision for the future of a Plan Area (a neighbourhood, a parish, a town, etc.) and sets out how this vision will be realised through planning and development. The document must reflect the views of the residents of the Plan Area. A Neighbourhood Plan is a statutory planning policy document and, once it has been made (i.e. brought into force by the Local Planning Authority), it will be used by: • planning officers and elected members of the local authority in assessing planning applications; • applicants as they prepare planning applications for submission to the local authority; • the Town and Parish Councils when considering and commenting on planning applications; • residents and stakeholders in a wider capacity. Plans and their use are subject to legislation and regulation including: • the Town and Country Planning Act 1990;1 • the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004;2 • the Localism Act 20113; • the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012;4 • Directive 2001/42/EC on Strategic Environmental Assessment.5 As well as being in general conformity with national planning policies and guidance and with local strategic policies, every Neighbourhood Plan must also satisfy specified “Basic Conditions” before it can be approved and then taken into account when planning applications are