The Neighbourhood Plan

• Not a wish list of projects but a planning policy document

• Should not repeat local or national policy

• A blueprint for sustainable development

The plan must fit in with the local planning context

• Ashford’s Core strategy

• Tenterden and Rural Sites Development Planning Document

• National Planning Policy Framework

Figure 1.1 Wye with Hinxhill Parish boundary in local context with nearby major development allocations marked

Our Plan is based on consultation, the household survey and workshop output that developed our……………

• Vision

• Principles

• Core objectives

Vision ‘Wye should remain a distinct settlement with definite boundaries. It should retain a

balanced community providing some local employment and should not become purely

residential.

Any development should respect the rural landscapes around it, so that it retains its

rural character. The environment should continue to make the community feel safe.

The active and energetic community should continue to enjoy many activities.

Any changes should respect Wye’s history and its historic buildings, but should enable

most of the needed facilities and amenities to be provided in the village.’

This vision is based on what people value now and how these characteristics should be protected from future change. The overall aim is to retain Wye as a vibrant village.

Five Core Objectives have led to five General Policies

The objectives :1. To protect Wye’s sense of place within its surrounding

countryside including the views into and from the village.

2. Wye’s conservation area and architectural heritage must be protected. 3. Development should not have severe impacts on traffic in Wye

and its linked rural roads.

4. The promotion of sustainable business activity.

5. Generation of affordable homes integrated into mixed developments

Objective 1 To protect Wye’s sense of place within its surrounding countryside including the views into and from the village.

Figure 4.1 The designated village boundary.

Figure 2.1a Landscape setting for Wye

Figure 2.4 Views and viewpoints in and around Wye

Objective 1 To protect Wye’s sense of place within its surrounding countryside including the views into and from the village.

Policy G1a Development will be encouraged within the village boundary (see Figure 4.1).

The following green spaces within the village boundary (see Figure 2.1a) will be protected from development.• Churchfield Green• Allotments• The Green• Sports fields• Village Hall playing field• Access to the river bank• The Havillands meadow• Green spaces in established housing developments

Policy G1b Developments that detract from the views identified in Section 2.1.4 into, out of and within the village, will not be supported.

Five Core Objectives have led to five General Policies

The objectives :1. To protect Wye’s sense of place within its surrounding countryside including the views into and from the village.

2. Wye’s conservation area and architectural heritage must be protected. 3. Development should not have severe impacts on traffic in Wye and its linked rural roads.

4. The promotion of sustainable business activity.

5. Generation of affordable homes integrated into mixed developments

Figure 2.2 The historic legacy of Wye

Objective 2 Wye’s conservation area and architectural heritage must be protected.

The community, through the household survey, has strongly supported the existing village design statement (VDS). The VDS (Appendix E and Background document BD8) is currently recognised as Supplementary Planning Guidance by ABC. By including it within the Neighbourhood Plan it will become a part of the Ashford Development Plan.

Policy G2 All planning applications must adhere to the basic principles and guidelines set out in the Wye Village Design Statement 2000. Entrances to the village should be visually welcoming and the designs of proposals should reflect guidance within the VDS.

Five Core Objectives have led to five General Policies

The objectives :1. To protect Wye’s sense of place within its surrounding countryside including the views into and from the village.

2. Wye’s conservation area and architectural heritage must be protected. 3. Development should not have severe impacts on traffic in Wye and its linked rural roads.

4. The promotion of sustainable business activity.

5. Generation of affordable homes integrated into mixed developments

Figure 2.7 Transport and walking in Wye showing key road junctions

Figure 2.8 Diagram showing the extent of queuing on January 9th am with existing traffic. Queues extend along Harville Rd and Bramble Lane to the west and Churchfield Way and Bridge St to the east.

Objective 3 Development should not have severe impacts on traffic in Wye and its linked rural roads.

Traffic flow through Wye, parking difficulties and queuing at the level crossing were the most frequently highlighted issues in responses to the household survey (BD1) and have been analysed in detail (BD4). Development is encouraged, but proposals for new business activities or housing must ensure that they will not create unacceptable levels of congestion, damage the quality of life in the Parish or the character of Wye. There must be no harmful impacts on Wye as a tourist destination within the AONB.

Policy G3 New development will only be permitted where it will not cause a significant increase in the volume of traffic leading to: • Severe queuing along the roads leading to the level crossing and the failure of queues

to clear when the gates are open, or• Creation of highway safety issues because of the overuse of rural roads leading to Wye.

Five Core Objectives have led to five General Policies

The objectives :1. To protect Wye’s sense of place within its surrounding countryside including the views into and from the village.

2. Wye’s conservation area and architectural heritage must be protected. 3. Development should not have severe impacts on traffic in Wye and its linked rural roads.

4. The promotion of sustainable business activity.

5. Generation of affordable homes integrated into mixed developments

Figure 2.1b Land use plan for Wye.

Objective 4 The promotion of sustainable business activity

Section 2.2 outlines the need to replace employment opportunities lost after the closure of Wye College. One goal of the Neighbourhood Plan is to recover some of the jobs lost, many of which supported the village’s retail and commercial activities. Strengthening the economic sustainability of Wye, including the growth of tourism, supports the village as an active tier 2 hub for surrounding settlements.

Policy G4 Proposals that promotes sustainable business development to replace jobs lost through the closure of the college, particularly in education, food production,research and tourism will be supported.

Objective 5: Generation of affordable homes integrated into mixed developments

The Plan notes the existing ABC policy that developments of more than 15 dwellings should include 35% of affordable housing. There was very strong support for Local Needs Housing in the household survey. We have conducted two local needs surveys (see BD6). The integration of housing needs with affordable housing in mixed developments is the approach supported by the Parish Council.

Policy G5 Local Needs Housing should be met by integration within the affordable housing component of any new developments.

This policy is supported by paragraph 54 of the NPPF and ABC Lettings Policy (Revision 2014) and responds to evidence identified within the Local Housing Needs Survey

The Plan contains specific policies dealing with

• Community issues• Traffic• Countryside and Environment• Business• Housing

Our policies are backed up by survey results and detailed analyses for example of business potential and traffic (in background documents)

General policies are supported by those focusing on specific topics

Countryside and Environment Policies (example)

E 1 Existing green and other spaces (as shown in Fig 2.1a and b) should be preserved and enhanced.

Traffic policies (example)In support of General Policy G3, Transport Policy T1 further requiresthat Developers must demonstrate through traffic modelling, that their proposals will not have adverse impacts.

T1 Any application for development of business activity (involving more than 5 workers) or residential development of more than 10 dwellings must be supported by traffic analysis including modelling of traffic flow at the level crossing and travel plans that encourage walking or cycling within the village. Impacts on the roads leading into and within the village, schools access and effects on neighbouring residents’ convenience must also be addressed.

Housing policies In developing housing policies due regard has been taken of the following issues

• Planning context -ABC’s policy indicates 45 for 2008-16 (none built so far) but no

numbers for 2017-2021 because of uncertainty over WYE3• Historic rate of growth –

50 every 10 years• Availability of land –

mainly WYE3• Impact on traffic and the environment –

as analysed by modelling• We want to support business development as well as housing

The aim has been to create a blueprint for sustainable development

Figure 5.1 Overview of housing development on WYE1, WYE2 and WYE3.

Table 4.1 Indicative numbers of dwellings

NP proposals to 2030

Windfall and change of use

40

WYE1 25

WYE2a 25

WYE3 Up to 70

Other areas of potential change and rural sites b

15

Total Up to 175

a Planning approved 20-08-2014 b Nine dwellings already proposed on the Old Brickworks site Naccolt

Housing policies cover

• Phasing –numbers built every 5 years

• Tenure and housing type

• Density and layout

• Access to Broadband

Site policies provide more detail about each development

• WYE1

• WYE2

• WYE3

• Naccolt Old Brickworks

• Potential windfall and change of use sites

All of these site allocations contribute to overall numbers

In preparing policy for WYE3 the Council adopts the following strategy

• The Council treats WYE3 as a single area for development.

• Individual areas such as ADAS, are addressed.

• But each area is considered as a component of an integrated development.

• A mixture of education, business and housing is proposed.

WYE3 PROPOSALS

Non-residential development• ADAS site - return to woodland or establish a solar farm• Withersdane - Clinic/rehabilitation centre with low traffic intensity• Grade II buildings - allocated to the Secondary (Free) School• Grade I buildings – redevelopment with funding from English Heritage, the Architectural

Heritage Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund for Community use (see Appendix B).• Kempe Centre – development as a high-tech business hub .• Consolidation of horticultural businesses • Renewal of artisan units along Occupation Rd (retained as business use).

Housing• Russell Labs and Sports Union site west of Olantigh Rd………….20dph (13 units)• Residential accommodation within the Old Campus………………………... (5 units)• Site East of Olantigh Rd and Occupation Rd……………………...10-30dph (30-45 units)• North of the Kempe Centre………………………………………………….…20dph (7 units)

WYE3 development west of Olantigh Rd

WYE3 development east of Olantigh Rd

WYE3 views into the development

Parish projects identified for developer contributions

• Improvement to the village hall

• Traffic calming and parking

• Solar/biomass energy generation on ADAS

• Grade I buildings for community use

• Orbital cycle route

• Environmental projects

Organisation of the text for the Neighbourhood Plan

Main text covering• Background to the Parish and Wye• The planning context• Development of our vision and principles• Objectives and general policies• Specific policies• Site policies

Appendices cover various issues supporting the main text

Background documents will be available on line

Copies of the latest drafts are available

TimetablePre-submission consultation to various groups including• Key consultees eg AONB, English Heritage• Local planning authority• Significant landowners• Local community organisations• Neighbouring parish councils• Minimum 6 week consultation period –completion target December 2014 Submission of the plan to ABC following consultation• The key addition to the pre-submission is the consultation statement • that responds to all comments. • The plan will probably be modified depending on responses received• Completion target March 2014 Independent examination following assessment by ABC• This may lead to further modification of the plan• Completion target May 2015

Referendum in the autumn of 2015 – the General Election causes delay

Acknowledgements

• Mark Hanton Studios –maps and plans

• MLM consultancy –traffic modelling Jonathan Rodger

• Localities and Planning aid - guidance from Brian Whitely

• ABC - advice from Policy Planners Simon Cole and Katy Wiseman