Neighbourhood Plan

WOLLASTON NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN ADOPTED BY BOROUGH COUNCIL OF WELLINGBOROUGH

At its meeting on the 20th December 2016, the Borough Council of Wellingborough resolved to adopt the Wollaston Neighbourhood Plan, following the referendum on 8th September 2016.

The Wollaston Neighbourhood Plan now forms part of the Development Plan for the Borough and will be used to help the Borough Council decide on planning applications in the neighbourhood area alongside existing planning policies and their successors.

Borough Council of Wellingborough Decision Statement

Website update September 2016 Referendum

At the referendum on Thursday 8th September villagers voted decisively in support of the

Wollaston Neighbourhood Plan (July 2016)

Of the 670 votes cast 508 (75.8%) voted YES to the question: 'Do you want the Borough Council of Wellingborough to use the neighbourhood plan for Wollaston to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?'

It is anticipated that the Development Committee of the Borough Council will recommend adoption of the neighbourhood plan at its meeting on 31st October and that the neighbourhood plan will be formally 'made' (adopted) by the  full council at its meeting on 20th December. The Wollaston Neighbourhood Plan will then become part of the statutory development plan for Wollaston.  Planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan, including the Wollaston Neighbourhood Plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.  

Following this successful outcome of nearly five years work the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group has been dissolved. Monitoring of the Neighbourhood Plan will be undertaken by the Parish Council.

Earlier stages in the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan

The following information sets out in chronological order the stages leading up to the Wollaston Neighbourhood Plan being ‘made’ (adopted) by the Borough Council. 

Neighbourhood Plan Designation

Wollaston Parish Council submitted an application for the designation of the Neighbourhood Area on 25^th October 2012.

The application was approved by the Borough on 9^th January 2013.

The Draft Plan (Regulation 14 stage)

4 Wollaston Neighbourhood Plan – Consultation Draft (November 2014)

Consultation Draft Plan – schedule of representations and responses)  - the  schedule is included at Appendix 1 of the Consultation Statement (2015) –see  download 8 below.

5 Housing and Employment Sites Assessment Background Paper (2014 update)

6 Wollaston Neighbourhood Plan Issues Consultation Statement (2013)

7 Wollaston Neighbourhood Plan 2013 Questionnaire (2013)

8 Summary of Responses to the Questionnaire (2014)

The Submission Plan (Regulation 16 stage)

Wollaston Parish Council submitted the Neighbourhood Plan to the Borough Council of Wellingborough on 20^th October 2015.

The Borough Council undertook consultation on the Submission Plan from 4^th November 2015 until 18^th December 2015.

Examination

Following this consultation, in March 2016 the Borough Council appointed Mr Richard High, an independent examiner to review the Plan. He concluded his examination in April and recommended that, subject to a number of modifications to the Plan, it should proceed to referendum.

9 Wollaston Neighbourhood Plan – Examiner’s Report

Subsequently, at a meeting held on 27th June 2016, the Development Committee of the Borough Council accepted  the recommendations in the Examiner’s Report subject to a minor change to Policy T4 (Superfast broadband) which ensured that a planning condition requiring the provision of ducting is applied not only to residential development but also commercial development. They also endorsed the recommendation that the Plan went forward to a referendum.

The Borough Council subsequently produced a Decision Statement which includes its review of the recommendations made by the Examiner.

10 Borough Council of Wellingborough – Final Decision Statement in respect of Wollaston Neighbourhood Plan

The amendments made by the Borough Council were incorporated into the final version of The Plan (July 2016) above. 

In addition, the Borough Council amended paragraph 1.2 of the Basic Conditions Statement as recommended by the Examiner (13, below). 

Key documents produced by the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group relating to this stage are as follows:

11 Wollaston Neighbourhood Plan – Submission Plan (October 2015)

12 Consultation Statement (2015)

13 Basic Conditions Statement (2015)

14 Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitat Regulations Determination Statement (2015)

15 Equalities Impact Assessment (2015)

16 Housing Background Paper

17 Local Green Space Background Paper