Public consultation on Kingsclere's draft Neighbourhood Plan
Chance for villagers to have their say on six possible sites
KINGSCLERE’S draft Neighbourhood Plan is set to go out for public consultation in the new year as part of a process to determine possible future development sites in the village.
During the summer, Kingsclere’s Neighbourhood Plan group, led by Kingsclere parish councillor Sue Adams, established six sites to be included in the draft plan for potentially 50 new houses in the village.
These six sites included land at Porch Farm, land behind Strokins Road, land behind Fawconer Road, land behind Coppice Road, land behind Poveys Mead and land next to Gaily Mill.
The sites identified could also be put to other uses such as green spaces, car parking, environment and ecology, infrastructure, landscape character, trees and affordable housing.
The draft plan – which, if approved, provides villagers with a say in what type of development will take place in the village and where – is set to go out for public consultation in the new year.
Ms Adams told fellow councillors at a recent meeting that the draft plan will be available for public consultation for six weeks, from January 9 to February 20.
“Everyone in the parish of Kingsclere can send in comments,” said Ms Adams, stressing villagers would not have any further opportunity to do so.
The draft is also set to go to outside organisations, such as English Heritage, for comment, as well as surrounding parish councils, before submission to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and an independent local examiner.
The borough council will then arrange a village referendum and the plan will be adopted if more than 50 per cent of votes cast are in favour.
If adopted, the Neighbourhood Plan will form part of the borough council’s development plan for Basingstoke and Deane – a blueprint for deciding future planning applications.
If it is rejected, this would leave the way wide open for development in the village – including any previously rejected sites in Kingsclere – with no guidelines to determine the type or style of buildings.
In October last year, 400 people packed out a meeting at Kingsclere’s Fieldgate Centre, to hear about a possible seven potential sites for development in the village.