Send Neighbourhood Development Plan 2017-2031 State of the Parish Report Published by Send Parish Council August 2018 1 | P a g e Send Neighbourhood Development Plan State of the Parish Report Contents 1. Introduction 2. Background 3. Processes 4. Parish Character and Statistic 5. Community Views on Planning Issues in the Parish 6. The Planning Context Plans/Maps Annexes Tables & Graphs 2 | P a g e 1 Introduction 1.1 This report will provide an overview of the information and evidence which has been compiled jointly by Send Parish Council, the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group and Action in rural Sussex, as the first stage in the development of the Send Neighbourhood Development Plan (Send NDP) 1.2 Purpose of this report: The purpose of this report is to summarise the evidence base and the context within which the Send NDP will be prepared, and by which the draft and final versions of the Send NDP will be assessed and refined. It provides a comprehensive summary record of the extensive work which has been undertaken as part of the initial phase of developing the Neighbourhood Plan and providing context against which a baseline of understanding may be developed, thereby allowing the identification of the existing and emerging issues which the Neighbourhood Plan should seek to address. 1.3 Guildford Borough Council (GBC) has not yet confirmed whether a Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) or a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) will be required. This will be known once a screening opinion has been undertaken by GBC. If an SEA or SA is required, a scoping report will be undertaken and produced in a separate document. 1.4 Function of this report: This report outline the approaches which have been taken in order to gather information about the locality, its functions are to: • Outline what the Neighbourhood Plan can and cannot realistically achieve; • Provide a summary of the activity undertaken and information captured as part of the Plan’s development; • Ensure that those living in or adjacent to the designated Neighbourhood Plan area are made aware of the key issues identified; • To provide residents, interested stakeholders and statutory partners with robust evidence and a summary of the key issues in order to guide how they contribute or respond to the Send NDP making process. 1.5 The information contained within this document will be used as the basis for further consultation with the community, key stakeholders and the Local Planning Authority in order to establish how challenges identified may be responded to by the Send NDP. 3 | P a g e 1.6 The Send Parish Council application to designate a Neighbourhood Area was approved by Guildford Borough Council on xxxx. 1.7 1.8 1.9 The Send NDP is being prepared in accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012, the Localism Act 2011 and the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Plan A: Send NDP Plan Area designation 4 | P a g e 2 Introduction 2.1 Send is a large village and the primary settlement of Send civil parish in the County of Surrey. It is located in the North West corner of Guildford Borough in the centre of Surrey. Primarily a metropolitan area, the parish is bordered by both green belt and sections of the River Wey which separate it from adjacent settlements. It has a long history and was first recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086 as Sande. 2.2 At the time of the Doomsday Book it was held by Rainald from Alvred de Merleburgh (Marlborough). Its domesday assets were: 20 hides (units of land used for tax assessment), 1 church, 10 ploughs, 2 mills worth £1 3s 6d, 5 fisheries worth 4s 6d, 84 acres (34 ha) of meadow, and woodland worth 160 hogs. It was headed by 41 households and had additionally fifteen serfs, although whether they had households or not is uncertain. It rendered £15 10s 0d per year to its overlords. 2.3 The parish is adjacent to the main A3 road which runs north east to south west and forms its entire southern border. This road provides connectivity to Southampton via Petersfield and Guildford (located approximately 5 miles to the south west) and to the M25 London Circular located approximately 5 miles to the north east. In addition, there are numerous A and B road links to nearby villages and towns. 2.4 Send has no train station of its own, but the parish is located is relatively close to Guildford, Woking, Worplesdon and West Clandon stations, which offer (stopping, semi-fast and fast) main line rail services to London and to south coast destinations including Portsmouth and Southampton. 2.5 As befits a settlement of its population size (4,245), Send is served by a wide range of amenities and services. This includes a Health Centre, Post Office, 2 Public Houses, 2 churches, a Primary School, meeting rooms, social club, a recreation ground, two well-equipped play areas and numerous retailers and eateries. 2.6 In addition to the amenities, the community has a number of active sports clubs and community societies, including a football team and cricket club. Background 2.7 Under the Localism Act (2011) and related Neighbourhood Planning Regulations (2012), local communities can have a larger say on the development of their area by undertaking neighbourhood planning. 2.8 The National Planning Policy Framework states that ”… neighbourhoods should develop plans that support the strategic development needs set out in Local Plans, including policies for housing and economic development; plan positively to support local development, shaping and directing development in their area that is outside the strategic elements of the Local Plan; and identify opportunities to use Neighbourhood Development Orders to enable developments that are consistent 5 | P a g e with their neighbourhood plan to proceed. (para 16) 2.9 Neighbourhood planning gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and deliver the sustainable development they need. Parishes … can use neighbourhood planning to set planning policies through neighbourhood plans to determine decisions on planning applications; and grant planning permission through Neighbourhood Development Orders and Community Right to Build Orders for specific development which complies with the order. (para.183) 2.10 Neighbourhood planning provides a powerful set of tools for local people to ensure that they get the right types of development for their community. The ambition of the neighbourhood should be aligned with the strategic needs and priorities of the wider local area. Neighbourhood plans must be in general conformity with the strategic policies of the Local Plan. To facilitate this, local planning authorities should set out clearly their strategic policies for the area and ensure that an up -to-date Local Plan is in place as quickly as possible. Neighbourhood plans should reflect these policies and neighbourhoods should plan positively to support them. Neighbourhood plans and orders should not promote less development than set out in the Local Plan or undermine its strategic policies. (para.184) 2.11 Outside these strategic elements, neighbourhood plans will be able to shape and direct sustainable development in their area. Once a neighbourhood plan has demonstrated its general conformity with the strategic policies of the Local Plan and is brought into force, the policies it contains take precedence over existing non- strategic policies in the Local Plan for that neighbourhood, where they are in conflict. Local planning authorities should avoid duplicating planning processes for non-strategic policies where a neighbourhood plan is in preparation.” (para.185) 6 | P a g e 3 Processes 3.1 The Plan Preparation Process: The process of preparing the Send NDP is set out in the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012. This comprises: • Undertaking background research and evidence baseline work and informal public and stakeholder consultation (carried out between 2015 - 2018); • Publishing a Pre-Submission Neighbourhood Plan and the draft Sustainability Appraisal for a statutory six-week public consultation period • Revising the draft Neighbourhood Plan and Sustainability Appraisal where appropriate in line with consultee responses; • Submission of the Neighbourhood Plan and Sustainability Appraisal to the local planning authority (GBC) for a legal check; • Publication of the Neighbourhood Plan for a further 6 weeks by the local planning authority (GBC); • Examination by an independent Examiner appointed by the local planning authority (GBC) in consultation with Send Parish Council (see section below). 3.2 The Examination Process: The independent Examiner must consider whether the Neighbourhood Plan meets the ‘Basic Conditions’. The Basic Conditions are set out in paragraph 8(2) of Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as applied to neighbourhood development plans by section 38A of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. They are that: 1. “Having regard to national policies and advice contained in guidance issued by the Secretary of State it is appropriate to make the neighbourhood plan; 2. The making of the neighbourhood plan contributes to the achievement of sustainable development; 3. The making of the neighbourhood plan is in general conformity with the strategic policies contained in the development plan for the area of the authority. 4. The making of the neighbourhood plan does not breach, and is otherwise compatible with, EU obligations. 5. Prescribed conditions are met in relation to the neighbourhood plan and prescribed matters have been complied with in connection with the proposal for the plan”. 3.3 With regard to Basic Condition 5 above, Regulation 32 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended) prescribes the following basic condition for the purpose of paragraph 8(2)(g) of Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act: “The making of the Neighbourhood Plan is not likely to have a significant effect on a European Site (as defined in the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2012) or a European Offshore Marine Site (as defined in the Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 2007) either alone or in combination with other plans or projects”.