Brixworth Consultation Statement
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Brixworth Neighbourhood Development Plan Consultation Statement December 2015 BRIXWORTH PARISH COUNCIL Brixworth Parish Council Contents 1. Introduction 3 · Purpose of the Consultation Statement · Background to the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan · Aims when consulting on the Neighbourhood Plan · Schedule of activities and timeline 2. Initial Non-Statutory Consultation 6 · Open discussions with local residents · Household questionnaire · Engagement with developers · Discussions with key service providers · Liaison with surrounding Parish Councils · Liaison with local businesses · Interaction with statutory bodies · Engagement with local Planning Authority 3. Statutory Pre-Submission Consultation on the Draft 11 Plan · Details of who was consulted · An explanation of how they were consulted · A summary of the main issues and concerns raised · A description of how these issues were considered and, where relevant, addressed in the submitted plan 4. Publicity 15 5. Conclusion 16 6. Appendices 17 1. Summary of consultation events and timeline 17 2. Analysis of the responses during the open ended interviews 20 3. Residents questionnaire response (summary version) 23 4. Initial discussions with statutory bodies 28 5. Survey of local businesses 30 6. List of consultees for pre-submission consultation 31 7. List of respondents to pre-submission consultation 38 8. How the issues raised during pre-submission consultation were 39 considered and addressed in the Neighbourhood Plan 9. Consideration of Berry Bros and Pegasus Group Representations 44 10.Articles in the Brixworth Bulletin 49 Brixworth Neighbourhood Development Plan : Consultation Statement Page 2 1. Introduction Purpose of the Consultation Statement 1.1 In December 2015 Brixworth Parish Council submitted their Neighbourhood Plan to Daventry District Council. When submitting a Neighbourhood Plan to the relevant local Planning Authority legislation requires the qualifying body to submit a number of documents to accompany it. One of these is commonly known as a Consultation Statement. 1.2 This Consultation Statement has been prepared to fulfil the legal obligations of the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012. Part 5, Section 15(2) of the Regulations sets out that a Consultation Statement should: a) contain details of the persons and bodies who were consulted about the proposed Neighbourhood Development Plan; b) explain how they were consulted; c) summarise the main issues and concerns raised by the persons consulted; d) describe how these issues and concerns have been considered and, where relevant, addressed in the proposed Neighbourhood Development Plan. Background to the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan 1.3 In 2012 there were two substantial planning applications for housing development on the southern edge of Brixworth on either side of the Northampton Road. There was strong opposition to both applications from the local community as there was considerable fear that this would spark off developments that would change the very nature of Brixworth, its setting and rural nature. 1.4 The Parish Council subsequently decided to prepare a Neighbourhood Development Plan such that the local community could then help shape and influence future development. In this way it was hoped that the local community could be more proactive about planning the future of Brixworth and less reactive to ad-hoc development proposals. 1.5 An application was thereby submitted by the Parish Council to Daventry District Council in September 2012 to designate the whole Parish of Brixworth as a Neighbourhood Area. Following a 6 week period of public consultation the Neighbourhood Area was formally approved by the District Council on 28 February 2013. Brixworth Neighbourhood Development Plan : Consultation Statement Page 3 Aims when consulting on the Neighbourhood Plan 1.6 A Steering Group was then established comprising Parish and District Council members as well as community volunteers. It comprises David Parnaby (Chairman), Bob Chattaway (Vice Chairman), Frank Allen, Ian Barratt, Mick Bates, Anne Blaber, David Boucher, Deidre Daish, Jo Wright, Paula Jones, Mike Lacey, Mike Nice, Nigel Ozier, Malcolm Rous, Rick Spurgeon, Mike Parsons (Secretary). Although the Parish Council is the qualifying body, the Brixworth Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group was mandated to prepare the Neighbourhood Plan on behalf of the Parish Council. 1.7 The Steering Group had the following terms of reference to: · conform to the core principles of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), emergent West Northants Joint Core Strategy (JCS) and Daventry District Council Local Plan; · protect Brixworth’s village character and its natural and historic setting in the surrounding landscape from urban sprawl; · ensure sustainability of the infrastructure of the village in the interests of all its residents; · include and build on the precepts set out in the Brixworth Village Design Statement (2004); and · protect the environment of the village and guide its future development so as to safeguard its ecological and economic sustainability. 1.8 When consulting the wider community the Steering Group’s aims were to: · be visible and transparent at all times as it prepared the Neighbourhood Plan; · have on-going communication with the local community using a mix of public and focus group meetings, face to face interviews, articles in the local media, questionnaires, information boards and via the dedicated website; · regularly feedback the response to consultation activities and report on progress. Schedule of activities and timeline 1.9 Consultation activity during the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan occurred in two distinct stages. Brixworth Neighbourhood Development Plan : Consultation Statement Page 4 1.10 Initial non-statutory consultation occurred between April 2013 and April 2015 when the Steering Group sought the views of the wider community as part of their evidence gathering. This included: • open ended discussions with local residents; • a household questionnaire; • engagement with developers; • discussions with key service providers; • liaising with surrounding Parish Councils; • interacting with statutory bodies; and • engagement with the Daventry District Council. 1.11 The statutory pre-submission consultation on the Draft Plan was then undertaken for six weeks between 1 June and 13 July 2015. 1.12 The overall activity is briefly summarised in Appendix 1. 1.13 The specific activities undertaken during these two stages and the issues raised are described in more detail in the following sections. Brixworth Neighbourhood Development Plan : Consultation Statement Page 5 2. Initial Non-Statutory Consultation Open ended conversations with local residents 2.1 The key points of concern were initially derived from open ended discussions with residents. This comprised face to face conversations with people at various locations around the village. The aim was to scope out the issues that needed to be addressed in the Neighbourhood Plan. The Steering Group conducted informal interviews with 196 residents between September 2013 and January 2014. 2.2 Whilst open ended, each interviewee had a series of prompts. Issues included: • The provision of new homes to meet the needs of all sections of the community; • Village facilities; • Local distinctiveness, surroundings and environment; and • Local economy. 2.3 The analysis of the interviews is attached as Appendix 2. 2.4 The principal concerns raised by the respondents could be summarised as: a. Strong desire to maintain Brixworth as a rural village, preserving landscape, local views, environment and agricultural land. b. Some development inevitable, but must be of small size with brownfield sites or infill strongly preferred. c. Some affordable housing is acceptable and priority should be for the local young and local elderly. d. All services are affected by progressive developments, so developers must propose and deliver mitigation that benefits all of the Brixworth Community. Brixworth Neighbourhood Development Plan : Consultation Statement Page 6 e. All development must be properly planned including all above and phased so that the development is easily absorbed into the Brixworth Community. Household Questionnaire 2.5 A questionnaire was then constructed around the topics raised during the open ended discussions. The questionnaire was distributed to each house in the Parish. Some 769 replies were received – a response rate of 32.8%. These responses confirmed that the initial discussions had identified the major elements of resident’s concerns. The results were fed back to the local community at the 2014 Annual Parish Meeting and made available on the website and within the Information Centre. A synopsis of the results was also included within the September 2014 issue of the Brixworth Bulletin. 2.6 A summary of the responses to the household questionnaire is attached as Appendix 3. The full analysis is available on the website www.brixworth-np.org.uk 2.7 This demonstrates that some Brixworth residents have welcomed new development in the past, but more recently strong concerns have built up as many feel that the village now needs a period of consolidation to permit services and infrastructure to catch up. For instance 95% of Brixworth Neighbourhood Development Plan : Consultation Statement Page 7 the responses to the household questionnaire agreed that new development should be incremental allowing organic growth and evolution of facilities. 2.8 Similarly 96% agreed