Pimperne votes YES

The results are in for yesterday's referendum on the Pimperne Neighbourhood Plan: 
   321 votes cast in favour,
   46 against. 
So I make that 87% in favour of the plan, with a very respectable (40%) turnout.

The plan allocates three sites for housing as well as a host of other policies to protect the historic and rural nature of the village and surrounding countryside.

Congratulations to all those involved in the plan's preparation.

So much happening!

There has been a lot going on over the summer - so there are really no excuses for such a long blog drought.  I think the drought has been because I'm generally an up-beat optimist, and I was really disappointed in the NPPF's treatment of Neighbourhood Plans (the revisions could have been much more supportive of the localism concept and got rid of the prematurity loophole) - so I just couldn't bring myself to blog about that news! 

However last night's Neighbourhood Plan referendum result in Fontmell Magna is sufficient to turn things around and get me bouncing right back -

Turnout:    47.8%

Percentage in favour:   91.5%

This is a quite impressive result - in my experience only plans that avoid the whole question of allocating sites for development get over 90% approval rating.  The turnout is a really excellent too (higher than the other North Dorset Neighbourhood Plans).  And it certainly sets the benchmark for Pimperne in North Dorset, who will be next to the vote following their successful examination, although quite likely to be followed shortly by two more as the Examiners' reports are due any minute for Sturminster Newton and Hazelbury Bryan.

Well done to all the volunteers who put effort into the Fontmell Magna Neighbourhood Plan - a great result and here's hoping that it will be as influential as it should be in future planning decisions.

Lots of Local Plan activity around Dorset too - so that may well be my next blog post...

Planning at the fun fair - the affordable housing saga continues

It does seem these days that planning (and the affordable housing saga in particular) is getting more and more like a roller coaster ride – or perhaps one of those pirate boat swings at the fun fair.

Remember the November 2014 Ministerial statement on affordable housing thresholds that meant all of a sudden no small site (and by small this could still be up to 10 homes) need make any contribution to affordable housing?  This was challenged by some local authorities, and last summer it was declared unlawful in the Courts.  However the Government challenged that decision, and the Court of Appeal have now reversed the earlier judgement, although in their decision they have also made clear that the Ministerial Statement does not need to be “applied in a blanket fashion” and is “a material consideration … and no more”. 

So where does that leave these small sites?  Legal advisers I suspect are busy sharpening their pencils.  I don’t envy decision takers who have to balance all these points.  And I don’t envy the small scale builders who are probably wondering when the best time is to jump onto the ride.

Another space to watch is the newly enacted Housing and Planning Act which could be the trump card in this messy saga.  It included a clause (106ZB) allowing the Secretary of State to make regulations to impose restrictions or conditions on planning obligations for the provision of affordable housing, and how affordable housing is defined.  The ink is hardly dry on the paper, and these regulations will have to be drafted and approved by Parliament – but it may well be the only way which Government can guarantee that their original minimum thresholds get applied.

 

Maps - planners can't live without them

Planning is very hard to do without maps, and ideally GIS (geographic information systems) that allow you to add, remove and annotate different layers over map or aerial photograph base.  So I’m pleased to say that I am working in partnership with Getmapping plc who supply a GIS system for Parish Councils called Parish Online.  This uses a normal web browser, and is therefore accessible, simple but effective.  Any person in the neighbourhood plan groups I am supporting (whose Parish Council have signed up to Parish Online) can access not only a full range of Ordnance Survey mapping and aerial photography, but also the various layers provided by organisations like Natural England, English Heritage and the Environment Agency, including flooding, Listed Building, nature conservation sites and more.  And of course, then add their own layers - new sites, key views, local green spaces and much more.

First use of this software was for the Loders Neighbourhood Plan near Bridport in Dorset – you can see examples of maps at the end of the document and an aerial overlay on page 19.  I should have some more examples published shortly which I will link to in due course.

Contact me if you are interested in trialling this software, or need some help with mapping for your project.

Next Neighbourhood Plan talk

My next Neighbourhood Plan talk will be to Broadwindsor Group Parish Council at Drimpton VIllage Hall on Tuesday 7 April at 7.30pm
Fred Horsington (Neighbourhood Planning Champion for this area) and myself will be giving an overview on our experiences and will be answering questions from the audience.

http://broadwindsor.co/2015/…/13/neighbourhood-plan-meeting/