EAST MEON NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN (NDP)
SEPTEMBER 2017 update – THE HOME STRAIGHT !
Having approved the plan for examination in late March 2017, the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) then appointed John Slater MRTPI as the independent examiner.
The examiner assessed whether the East Meon Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) met certain legal requirements, known as ‘basic conditions’ and considered the representations made during the SDNPA and the East Meon NDP consultations.
The SDNPA and East Meon PC prepared responses to the examiner as they arose.
During August 2017, the examiner completed, and submitted his report to the SDNPA, together with his comments and recommendations.
Full documentation and the examiner’s report can be accessed using this link;
The examiner concluded, “I am therefore prepared to recommend to the South Downs National Park Authority that the East Meon Neighbourhood Development Plan, as modified by my recommendations, should now proceed to referendum.”
During our consultations, residents said:
- No to large scale developments
- Small dwellings 2-3 bedrooms
- Sympathetic and high-quality design
- Protect existing green spaces and community facilities within the village.
- Protect valued landscape views both from within, and into the village.
- Concerns as to the impact of new dwellings upon drain/sewage and surface water management.
The policies in the Neighbourhood Plan deliver:
- A small number of new houses during the plan period 2016 -2032.
- Small courtyard clusters of 2-3-bedroom houses with site specific policies, and having the least impact upon the surroundings and the traditional village layout.
- Appropriate materials and styles of future buildings.
- Protection of our village green spaces and community facilities.
- The only neighbourhood plan to have a specific sewage, drainage and surface water management policy accepted by an examiner.
- A tighter village settlement boundary preventing any future outward development.
- Protection for our parish landscape and iconic views.
The figure below shows the sites, settlement policy boundary and local green spaces in the Neighbourhood Plan after the Examiner’s report:
EHDC are expected to set a referendum date during November 2017 and if approved by the parish community, then the East Meon Neighbourhood Plan becomes part of the statutory development plan for East Meon and in future will be adopted as part of the South Downs National Park’s Local Plan, all future applications for planning permission must conform with it.
In the absence of a neighbourhood plan, government policy is ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ with planning allocations decided by others.
Your Referendum Question
”Do you want the South Downs National Park to use the neighbourhood plan for East Meon to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”
What the examiner said in his report…
“I am very satisfied that the community’s views have been sought throughout the plan-making period and the residents have had an opportunity to influence the plan.”
“I must congratulate the steering group and the parish council on having produced a high-quality neighbourhood plan, based on a thorough understanding and analysis of East Meon and its landscape. They have grasped the nettle of making allocation decisions that some neighbourhood plans have ducked and whilst it may have at times seemed a divisive process, the proposals are based on objective consideration of all sites”
A BIG Thank You to the East Meon community
Over the three-year period of the plan’s development, at one time or another, some twenty-eight residents have been involved. The parish council and steering group would also like to thank all the community for their input, patience and support throughout what has been a lengthy, complex but very worthwhile process.
Your vote will count
MAY 2017 update
The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) has appointed John Slater MRTPI as independent examiner of the East Meon NDP. The Examiner will assess whether the East Meon NDP meets certain legal requirements, known as ‘basic conditions’ and among other things will also consider the representations made during the SDNPA and the East Meon NDP consultations
The SDNPA and East Meon PC are currently preparing responses to the examiner as they arise – progress and documentation can be viewed at;
April 2017 update
The South Downs National Park (SDNPA) 6-week consultation concluded in early March, during which time their planning committee members also visited East Meon. Subsequently, at their 8th March monthly meeting in Midhurst the committee approved the NDP, with minor changes, for submission to the independent Examiner.
The examiner will now consider responses, the NDP’s underlying evidence base and the four primary documents submitted;
- The Neighbourhood Development Plan
- The Village Design, supporting the NDP
- The Consultation Statement
- Basic Conditions Statement (compliances)
It is anticipated that the ‘examination’ will be concluded by the end of May when the Parish Council will make any further required or suggested changes as a pre-requisite for the final version of the NDP to be approved for a residents’ referendum. The date for this is decided by East Hampshire District Council and will be advised when known, but could conceivably be late summer.
January 2017
The Plan has now been submitted to the South Downs National Park (SDNPA)
Here’s what happens next….
- The SDNPA will now hold their own 6 week public consultation, commencing on 27th January 2017. This consultation is open to the public and all relevant statutory bodies.
If you wish to submit comments to the SDNPA go to their website; https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/neighbourhood-planning/neighbourhood-development-plans/east-meon-neighbourhood-plan/
- After the SDNPA consultation process, an Independent Examiner will determine any further required changes, prior to approving the Neighbourhood Plan for a residents’ referendum which is organised and paid for by our local planning authority. (probably unlikely before June)
- The referendum question is simply;
“Do you want the South Downs National Park Authority to use the neighbourhood plan for East Meon Parish to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”
Building upon the 2013 updated parish plan, since 2014, East Meon residents have had further opportunities to have their say on our landscape and green spaces, where homes should be built or not, and other issues affecting development in the village. Although a neighbourhood development plan (NDP) has many components, perhaps not surprisingly housing, landscape and traffic have again been the topics most frequently raised by residents. Residents have been asked where their preferred new sites for housing types and what they should look like.
The importance of the NDP has been to select the most sustainable sites for development and to ensure the policy framework will mitigate the impact on the landscape setting to an acceptable level and ensure the form, layout, housing density of these sites will form locally distinctive development clusters reflecting the character of the village and the National Park.
To access please click on;
- Neighbourhood Plan (includes links to supporting evidence bases)
- Pattern Book
- Responses to Consultation
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Other Useful Links:
NPPF Planning Practice Guidance
Contact the Neighbourhood Development Team
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To browse the Neighbourhood Plan pages on this website, please click on the picture above.
The East Meon Neighbourhood Plan.
WHAT IS A NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN?
The Localism Act, which received Royal Assent on November 15 2011, introduced new rights and powers to allow local communities to shape new development by coming together to prepare Neighbourhood Plans. This is a community-led framework for guiding future development and growth of an area. All Neighbourhood Plans must meet basic conditions and be aligned with the strategic objectives and policies of the South Downs National Park ‘local plan’ and the National Planning Policy Framework.
Note: For the Neighbourhood Plan to be approved it has to be robustly evidence based, credible and consistent and then must be passed by a majority vote at a parish referendum.
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EAST MEON
The historic parish of East Meon is located six miles to the west of Petersfield, Hampshire. It lies in a wide valley, bounded on its southern and eastern sides by the South Downs. The River Meon rises from a source to the south of the village and then flows through the village centre.
East Meon was an important Minster and Hundred in Saxon times. Both before and after the Norman Conquest it was a Manor of the Bishops of Winchester, who built the magnificent parish church of All Saints and the mediaeval manor house, The Court House. The village contains a number of ancient hall houses. It was chosen to be the ‘Domesday Village’ in 1986. For information on the history of East Meon click here.
