Neighbourhood Plans
Neighbourhood Plans are about allocating land for development. They came into being under the Localism Act 2011 and give local communities the ability to determine where new houses, businesses, shops and community facilities should be located and to allocate smaller sites for development. They may also include more detailed planning policies such as how new development should look.
Denmead Neighbourhood Plan is the only one for which Winchester City Council is the lead planning authority. Within Winchester district, work is well advanced on a neighbourhood plan for Twyford, but this falls within South Downs National Park so the National Park Authority is the lead planning authority. Further details can be found above via the South Downs National Park website.
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Neighbourhood Plans - General Information
The Government has produced detailed guidance as to how Neighbourhood Plans should be prepared and how to hold a local referendum. Further information can be found on the following websites:
- Neighbourhood Planning Guide Nov 2012 - Department for Communities and Local Government
- Neighbourhbood Planning Roadmap Guide - Locality 2020
- How to shape where you live: a guide to neighbourhood planning Jan 2012 - Campaign to Protect Rural England
- Existing Tools for Neighbourhood Planning May 2011 - Royal Town and Planning Institute
- Neighbourhood planning: a guide for ward councillors May 2011 - Planning Advisory Service
- Neighbourhood planning: frequently asked questions May 2011 - Planning Advisory Service
- Community Led Design - The Glass-House
Neighbourhood Planning Process
The Government's regulations formally set out the key stages to be followed and who can produce one. At present Parish Councils can undertake the process and in non-parished areas a designated Neighbourhood Forum consisting of residents, businesses and other community interests can take the lead.
All Neighbourhood Plans must be produced in line with national planning policy guidance and locally produced planning policies (Winchester Local Plan 2006 and the emerging Winchester District Local Plan Part 1) and other relevant legislation.
The process will include a number of stages including community engagement and consultation on the draft document. Given that a Neighbourhood Plan once adopted will be used to determine planning applications the Plan must also be subject to an examination and a community referendum, where at least 51% of those voting must agree to it, before it can be adopted.
Is a Neighbourhood Plan the right plan for our community?
Communities will need to decide what is the most appropriate plan for their community, and this will depend on what you want to achieve. Other options include Village Design Statements and Parish Plans. More information on these alternative plans can be found by clicking on the appropriate weblinks above; Council Officers will also be able to help advise you.
What if we decide not to do a Neighbourhood Plan?
Once the council's Local Plan Part 1 is adopted (early 2013), the council will commence preparing Local Plan Part 2 (due to be adopted 2015). This will identify smaller sites for development in accordance with the adopted strategies set out in Part 1 and set out more detailed planning policies.
The council will be talking to Parish Councils through this process and will carry out a full consultation on the Local Plan Part 2. You may decide that the Local Plan Part 2 addresses the local issues satisfactorily, in which case a separate Neighbourhood Plan may not be necessary.
How much will it cost to do a Neighbourhood Plan and who pays?
There is not a lot of information or clarity on this yet. Initial estimates range between £15,000 to £50,000, although the Golvernment has confirmed that the Referendum and Examination will be the responsibility of the Local Planning Authority. Costs could be greater if technical studies are needed to justify the approach being taken (cost of professional fees). These costs will need to be borne by the community as Winchester City Council has not been given any additional funding for Neighbourhood Plans.
Where can I find more information?
Parishes within Winchester District, outside the South Downs National Park should contact the LDF team in the first instance ldf@winchester.gov.uk or the Council's Community Planning Manager slincoln@winchester.gov.uk
Parishes within Winchester District that fall within the South Downs National Park (and for parishes that cross the boundary, if your main settlement falls within the National Park) should contact the South Downs National Park Neighbourhood Plans Officer at neighbourhood@southdowns.gov.uk.
You can download a copy of the presentation on Neighbourhood Planning given by Winchester City Council to Parish Councils on 29 February 2012 here (ppt, 985kb).
You can find the Neighbourhood Planning Event Handout here (pdf, 110kb).
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Wickham and Knowle Neighbourhood Plan
Wickham and Knowle Parish Council are in the process of preparing a Neighbourhood Development Plan. The City Council has designated Wickham and Knowle Parish as a Neighbourhood Area for the purposes of producing a Neighbourhood Plan.
Wickham and Knowle - Application and map - SDNP (May 2025) (pdf, 254kb)
Wickham and Knowle Neighbourhood Plan - designation letter (pdf, 170kb)
Wickham and Knowle Neighbourhood Plan - application and map (pdf, 776kb)
Letter to Wickham and Knowle PC (March 2025) (pdf, 3.1mb)
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Denmead Neighbourhood Plan 2011-2031
Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (section 38A)Following a positive result in the referendum held on 5 March 2015 (1546 in favour, 785 against), Winchester City Council ‘made’ the Denmead Neighbourhood Plan part of the Winchester District Development Plan at its Council meeting on 1 April 2015. This means that the Denmead Neighbourhood Plan, along with Local Plan Part 1 adopted in March 2013 and the National Planning Policy Framework will be used to determine planning applications in the area covered by the Neighbourhood Plan.
Submission and Examination
Denmead Parish Council submitted to Winchester City Council their Plan Proposal under Part 5 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012.
Winchester City Council held a consultation on the Submission Denmead Neighbourhood Plan between 29 September and 5pm on 11 November 2014. The comments received through the consultation were passed to an independent examiner, Chris Collison, who was appointed by the Council and who considered the representations and whether the plan met the basic conditions and other relevant legal requirements, before recommending that the plan should be put to a community referendum.
The Council received the independent Examiner’s report on the Denmead Neighbourhood Plan on 18 December 2014, which concluded that the Plan and its policies, if modified in accordance with the recommendations set out in his report, met the “basic conditions” and other legal requirements.
Area Designation and Pre-Submission Plan
In August 2011 Department of Communities and Local Government accepted and agreed an application by Winchester City Council on behalf of Denmead Parish Council, to be a ‘Neighbourhood Planning Front Runner’.
The area to be covered by the Neighbourhood Plan included the Parish of Denmead but specifically excluded that part of the Parish that now lies in the South Downs National Park and that part covered by the West of Waterlooville major development area which is currently being developed.
In accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations the Neighbourhood Plan Area was published for consultation during July to 3rd September 2012. The Council considered the responses received, none of which raised any matters of substance to warrant a re-consideration of the boundary. Therefore, the boundary was confirmed as that originally submitted and can be viewed, along with the representations received to the consultation and a summary of the process, in the document 'Designation of Denmead Neighbourhood Area'.
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Twyford Neighbourhood Plan
Click here.
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Hursley Neighbourhood Plan
Hursley Parish Council are in the process of preparing a Neighbourhood Development Plan. The City Council has designated Hursley Parish as a Neighbourhood Area for the purposes of producing a Neighbourhood Plan.
Hursley Neighbourhood Plan - designation letter (pdf, 363kb)
Hursley Neighbourhood Plan - application and map (pdf, 242kb)
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New Alresford Neighbourhood Plan
New Alresford Parish Council are in the process of preparing a Neighbourhood Development Plan. The City Council has designated New Alresford Parish as a Neighbourhood Area for the purposes of producing a Neighbourhood Plan.
New Alresford Neighbourhood Plan - designation letter (pdf, 281kb)
New Alresford Neighbourhood Plan - application and map (pdf, 6.8mb)
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Curdridge Neighbourhood Plan
Curdridge Parish Council are in the process of preparing a Neighbourhood Development Plan. The City Council has designated Curdridge Parish as a Neighbourhood Area for the purposes of producing a Neighbourhood Plan.
Curdridge Neighbourhood Plan - designation letter (pdf, 195kb)
Curdridge Neighbourhood Plan - application (pdf, 119kb)