Rearsby Neighbourhood Plan 2017-2028 SUBMISSION VERSION - JULY 2017 DOCUMENT 2: NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN This document was put together by the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group and One A Ltd on behalf of Rearsby Parish Council CONTENTS 1. Neighbourhood Plans 2. How to read this document 3. Context of the Rearsby Neighbourhood Plan 4. Public Engagement to Create the Neighbourhood Plan 5. Evidencing Community and Local Priorities 6. The National and Local Policy Context 7. Rearsby’s Vision, Objectives and Proposals 8. Neighbourhood Plan Policies 9. Implementation of the Neighbourhood Plan 10. Appendices Appendix One: Supplementary Evidence and information in support of Plan Policies Appendix Two: Guidelines from ‘Rearsby Village Design Statement, 2002’ 2 SUBMISSION VERSION JULY 2017 Rearsby Neighbourhood Plan 1. NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANS The 2011 Localism Act has given communities, such as Rearsby, the right to draw up a Neighbourhood Plan. The right is aimed at giving local communities genuine opportunities to influence the future of the places where they live. Decisions on planning applications must take account of Neighbourhood Plans. The contents of the Neighbourhood Plan are restrained to some degree by the national planning policy framework and the local plan for Charnwood Borough. 2. HOW TO READ THIS DOCUMENT This Neighbourhood Plan document sets out how the priorities for the parish of Rearsby have been expressed by local residents and businesses and how these priorities can be supported by other documented evidence. The Plan examines national planning guidance and the Charnwood Core Strategy development plan documents and then provides discussion about the key planning issues facing Rearsby. This is followed by identifying the local priorities and vision for the community’s future. The Plan policies that have emerged from this process are then detailed, with the Proposals Maps expressing these policies in geographical form. Further evidence supporting these policies is summarised in the Appendices. The final section gives pointers to the mechanisms that could assist in implementing the Plan, once it has been approved. This is the formal document now submitted to Charnwood Borough Council. Rearsby Parish Council - Neighbourhood Area 3 3 SUBMISSION VERSION JULY 2017 3. THE CONTEXT OF THE REARSBY NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN AREA 3.1 The Rearsby Neighbourhood Plan area covers the parish of Rearsby, located in the Wreake Valley in Charnwood Borough, Leicestershire. It borders the neighbouring rural settlements of Brooksby, Thrussington, East Goscote, Queniborough and Gaddesby, with one village and substantial farmland covering approximately 600 hectares in extent. The by-pass opened in 2004 dissects the parish area almost into two halves. 3.2 At the time of the 2011 Census. Rearsby had a population of 1097 - 528 males (48.1%) and 569 females (51.9%) - with a density of 1.8 persons per hectare. There were 407 households, with an average household size of 2.7 people per household. There were 21.6% of residents were aged 65 or over, fairly typical of rural areas, but slightly higher than the averages for Charnwood (16.4%), East Midlands (17.1%) and England (16.3%). There were 136 households with dependent children - 236 children and youth (21.3%) aged between 0-17. 120 of the households had ‘no adults in employment’, but only 2 of those had dependent children. 73 households contained at least one resident with a long-term health problem or disability - 16 of those had at least one dependent child. By 2016, total households had risen by 55 new properties (a mixture of market and affordable homes, including bungalows) to approximately 462. 3.3 The majority of homes in the parish are detached (77.9%) houses or bungalows, with 12.5% semi-detached and 8.4% terraced. Overcrowding is not an issue, with only a small number of households (5 households or 1.2%) with dependent children and lone parent family households likely to be affected. The figures also suggested that there is a lack of smaller properties (less than 3 bedrooms) in the parish. This compounds the difficulty for older people who want to downsize within the parish, as well as younger people (and people on low incomes) wanting their first independent home. 3.4 The Neighbourhood Plan has drawn on work originally carried out to produce the “Rearsby Village Design Statement” in 2002, which assessed the landscape quality in the area and drew attention to ancient and important buildings, landmarks, roads and paths. The Guidelines of the Design Statement are included in the Neighbourhood Plan within Appendix Two below. 4 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT TO CREATE THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN 4.1 During the early part of 2015 the ‘Keep Rearsby Rural’ campaign galvanised opposition to a first proposal for large-scale housing development on Melton Road. By mid-summer over 400 objections had been submitted to Charnwood Planning Department and the Planning Committee agreed to refuse approval to the planning application. (Over 400 objections have also been submitted to a further application on this site in 2017). 4.2 Whilst the responses to that application were under way, other village discussions had begun on how to respond more proactively towards future ideas for any other kinds of development in the village area. A Working Group of the Parish Council was established to draw together the work necessary to produce a 4 SUBMISSION VERSION JULY 2017 Rearsby Neighbourhood Plan Neighbourhood Plan, and an application was made to Charnwood Borough Council in May 2015 for the parish to be designated as a Neighbourhood Area. Formal agreement of this designation was obtained from the Borough in August 2015. 4.3 Public Meetings to explain the process for compiling a local Neighbourhood Plan commenced in September 2015, and the canvassing of different stakeholders and local interests began from October 2015 onwards. During December 2015 and January 2016 conversations were held with members of a range of local groups and organisations, and the issues and concerns that were raised then fed back to the wider village community in door-to-door leaflets and the local village newsletter. 4.4 In March 2016 two public meetings were arranged for the village community to discuss initial suggestions and ideas for what should shape the future Neighbourhood Plan, leading then to a full survey of all households in the village during May and June 2016 that sought feedback on how the village might ‘evolve’ over the period to 2028. The survey response rate was 40% of all village households and the results were placed in the village magazine and on-line (www. rearsbyneighbourhoodplan.org.uk). 4.5 In September 2016, the Parish Council secured £6,000 to support the next stages of drafting a proposed Plan from ‘Locality’ (the national body assisting with community development projects) and engaged ‘OneA Planning’ as consultants. The funds have been used to cover the costs of further village meetings and ‘Drop-In’ sessions (November 2016 to March 2017) including the use of large maps of the parish area to share ideas about the Plan area, and to draft the policies that might best assist the Plan’s desired outcomes. This draft was circulated to all households and businesses in the parish and to all necessary statutory bodies for further consultation, and a list of the comments received has been summarised in the Statement of Consultation that has been submitted along with the Neighbourhood Plan. 4.6 Further funding was obtained from ‘Locality’ in May 2017 for completing all the documentation required to submit the final Plan, and Parish Council approved the final papers for submission to Charnwood Borough Council at its meeting on 6th July 2017. 5. EVIDENCING COMMUNITY AND LOCAL PRIORITIES 5.1 What is of most interest to the village? The majority viewpoint from residents, groups and other community bodies is that the village’s rural character should be maintained. People wish to maintain a clear ‘separation’ from neighbouring areas and do not want the village to be part of a wider sprawl that in time becomes linked first to East Goscote and then on to the broader Leicester-area. Villagers feel the village should continue to evolve slowly, and that its distinct identity and character be retained. 5.2 How do people wish to see Rearsby develop? Of most concern is that any built development in the future should not contain large housing projects. The strong feeling is that any new housing should be on a modest scale that can maximise suitable and affordable homes for local residents. 5 SUBMISSION VERSION JULY 2017 Green and natural open spaces like the ‘Conker Field’ and surrounding fields need to be protected, as does the Conservation area (and extended where possible). There is clear interest to bring open and green spaces and the maintenance of hedges and trees under community management, and to increase opportunities for new footpaths. 5.3 Survey of community priorities A series of concerns raised from initial consultations with local community groups and societies was used for a household survey of how local priorities might be rated. – each bar denotes the percentage from a total of 138 returns that rated how each of the topics labelled could be weighted within Neighbourhood Plan priorities. Source: Rearsby Household Survey, May-June 2016, www.rearsbyneighbourhoodplan.org.uk 5.4 What else is wanted in the village? People wish to see existing village amenities protected; shop facilities reintroduced into the village; and more leisure opportunities for both young and old members of the community. More control is wanted over speeding traffic in the village and the parking congestion that is apparent at certain parts of the ‘school day’. Villagers also want the bus routes to be maintained. The future of the school is considered crucial, and more facilities are wanted in the village for pre-school and nursery provision, although support is generally split between maintaining the school’s current size and for creating something bigger.