Neighbourhood Plan

Neighbourhood Plan

Site selection

Questionnaire

Have your say about the future of West Ashton

‘West Ashton, Our Community, Our Future’

This Questionnaire has been issued by the West Ashton Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group on behalf of West Ashton Parish Council (February 2018)

Dear resident of West Ashton,

Work is well underway in preparing your Neighbourhood Plan for West Ashton.

Wiltshire Council’s long-term strategy for development in the county, ‘The Wiltshire Core Strategy’ identifies West Ashton as a ‘small village’, with the suggestion that some modest housing development may be appropriate to respond to local needs.

You may recall that a Rural Housing Needs Survey was undertaken by Wiltshire Council in 2017, and the results from this, along with information from the Housing Register, showed a need for at least 5 affordable homes in West Ashton. At the 30% delivery rate* required in West Ashton, this could either be achieved by a dedicated scheme of 5 affordable homes, or mixed housing schemes totalling around 15 homes.

When the Steering Group volunteers consulted with the community earlier in the Neighbourhood Planning process, feedback received suggested that the appetite for additional new housing in the village was limited, although overall, local residents were not opposed to all housing development, especially if this was limited to necessary growth to meet local needs.

Now that this ‘local need’ has been identified, it is the role of the Neighbourhood Plan to put forward proposals to positively meet that need. A Planning Consultant, with the support from the Steering Group, has undertaken a comprehensive assessment of all the possible development sites in West Ashton that have been identified from different sources by Wiltshire Council.This assessment used various criteria, including compliance with Wiltshire Core Strategy policy, site availability, and also took into account previous feedback from the local community. This has resulted in two sites being taken forward for consideration. (Please refer to the ‘Site Selection Report’ for full details of all the sites considered and how they were assessed. Copies of the report can be obtained in the Village Hall, by request to the Steering Group or on the website).

The report analyses the various sites proven to be available and recommends that our Neighbourhood Plan accepts limited development only, carefully phased over the next 9 years to meet local need and allow for natural growth.

A key part of the Neighbourhood Planis to involve the community throughout the process, to ensure that the final Plan represents the wishes of the residents of the Parish. With this in mind, we invite you to make your views known with regards to the two proposed development sites currently being put forward, and offer you the opportunity to suggest alternative sites for consideration, by completing the following short questionnaire.

It is vital that you make your views known if the Neighbourhood Plan is to be validated and approved.

Please note that if any sites are identified in the Neighbourhood Plan it does not automatically mean that they will definitely be developed. Rather, it provides the opportunity for the local community to have influence over where new housing development might take place.

What to do next

Please fill in this Questionnaire as fully and thoughtfully as you can on behalf of your household, and return to us BY THE 9TH OF MARCH in any of the following ways

Drop it off in the blue box attached to the notice board outside the Village Hall
Deliver by hand for the attention of the Steering Group to23 Orchard Close, or 22a Bratton Road

As an alternative, a ‘word’ version of the Questionnaire is available on the website This can be downloaded, completed, and emailed to

If you have any questions about the Questionnaire or the Neighbourhood Planning process, would like a copy of the ‘Site Selection Report’, assistance completing the Questionnaire, or have any difficulties returning the Questionnaire, please contact the following Steering Group member - Mrs Carol Hackett on 01225 760372 or

Please be assured that your response will remain anonymous. Every response and comment will be examined, considered and scrutinised, and a report analysing the responses will be published on the website and made available in the Village Hall.

Thank you for taking the time to help us create West Ashton’s Neighbourhood Plan.

YOUR views really do count

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* 30% delivery rate – This is a Wiltshire Council requirement coming from the Wiltshire Core Strategy (Core Policy 43) and the Planning Obligations SPD.This in turn reflects government guidance.

1.Two proposed housing development sites:

Site 1: Land west of Bratton Road (behind the concrete bus shelter, opposite the road junction to East Town)

Site map Site photograph

Reasoning and justification: This site is capable of providing approximately 16 new homes, including 5 affordable ones, to meet the immediate need identified in the Housing Needs Survey. It is appropriate in scale, complies with Wiltshire Core Strategy policy, and could be considered for development within the first 4 years of the Plan. There will be few if any significant negative impacts. The impacts expected are capable of mitigation.

1.1Do you support the allocation of this site in the Neighbourhood Plan? (Please tick one box)

Yes No Don’t know

1.2Please makeany additional commentsregardingyour response above in the space below (If you need more space please use a separate piece of paper and attach it to the back of the Questionnaire)

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Site 2: Manor Farm (Field adjoining the Recreation Area, off East Town Road)

Site map Site photograph - view from Recreation Area

Reasoning and justification:Though the full site size would, if developed fully, produce an unacceptably large and inappropriate scheme, partial development of the site, if carefully controlled, could be acceptable in meeting future housing needs and would provide flexibility needed over and above the allocation of the other site, which meets only the immediate needs shown in the Housing Needs Survey, and not those over the whole Plan period. Indicative number of up to 30 new homes (exact number to be no more than necessary to meet local need and on the western part of the site only). Developable site area is likely not to exceed an area approximately the size of Shepherds Drove. The site would comply with Wiltshire Core Strategy policy if reduced in scale to meet local needs and if brought forward via the Neighbourhood Plan, and could be considered for development within the last 5 years of the Plan. Impacts seem capable of mitigation and acceptable mitigation proposals would be required as part of any scheme.

1.3Do you support the allocation of this site in the Neighbourhood Plan? (Please tick one box)

Yes No Don’t know

1.4Do you support the proposal to only allow development on the western part of the site, nearest to Shepherds Drove? (Please tick one box)

Yes No Don’t know

1.5Please make any additional comments regarding your responsesabovein the space below (If you need more space please use a separate piece of paper and attach it to the back of the Questionnaire)

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2.Alternative sites

As well as the twosites already identified above, the Steering Group would also like to provide the opportunity for alternative sites to be submitted for consideration.

In order for any alternative sites to be put forward, an accurate site map and written proof from the landowner that the site is available for sale or development will also need to be provided.

2.1Would you like to put forward any alternative site/s for consideration? (Please tick one box)

Yes No

2.2If yes, please provide details of the location/s and name of landowner/s (including contact details)

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

IF YOU HAVE IDENTIFEID POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE SITES,PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE PROVIDED THE REQUIRED SITE MAP AND WRITTEN PROOF FROM THE LANDOWNER

3.General comments

If you have any additional comments you would like to make please use the space below (If you need more space please use a separate piece of paper and attach it to the back of the Questionnaire)

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

END OF QUESTIONNAIRE – THANK YOU

**** PLEASE RETURN QUESTIONNAIRE BY 9thMARCH ****