Neighbourhood Plan Background

Introduction

Following the adoption by Hart District Council of its Local Plan in 2020 it was agreed that Winchfield’s Neighbourhood Plan should be reviewed and updated for the period 2022 – 2037. Our updated Neighbourhood Plan has been produced by local volunteers, with the support of and on behalf of the Parish Council, setting out the vision, objectives and policies by which the Parish will manage future sustainable development.

Neighbourhood Plan Examiner’s Report and Decision to proceed to Referendum

Hart District Council appointed Mr. Ashcroft, an independent Examiner, to undertake the examination. The Examiner’s Report was received on 7 September 2023.

All modifications proposed by the Examiner, after consideration of all the received representations, were accepted. The Examiner stated in his report that Winchfield’s new Plan was: “in the round a first-class example of a review of a neighbourhood plan both in terms of its format and content”.

The Plan was further updated and amended to reflect those changes and create the Referendum Version of the Plan.

Hart District Council decided at its Cabinet meeting on 5 October 2023 to accept the recommended modifications to the Neighbourhood Plan and to proceed to Referendum. Please view the Decision Statement for further information. The Referendum question asked was:

“Do you want Hart District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Winchfield Neighbourhood Planning Area to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

Post Referendum

The Winchfield Neighbourhood Plan referendum took place on 23 November 2023. 242 residents voted (44% turnout) with 221 voting YES and 21 voting NO. More than 50% of those voting (91% of the votes cast) voted in favour of the plan being used to determine planning applications in the parish.

The full results can be viewed in the Declaration of Results.

Hart District Council formally ‘made’ the Neighbourhood Plan at its meeting on 25 January 2024.

The updated WNP will be used with immediate effect to assess all new planning applications in the Parish.

Regulation 14 Consultations and Examination reports pre Referendum including the Plan Consultation Statement and Basic Conditions Statement

Basic Conditions Statement – demonstrates that the Winchfield Neighbourhood Plan has been prepared in accordance with the Regulations and how the Basic Conditions have been met

Consultation Statement – documents all the representations received during Reg 14 consultation and the responses

Regulation 16 Consultations and Examination reports pre Referendum

• Winchfield Parish Council response to Regulation 16 representations
• Summary of Regulation 16 representations received
• Examiner’s Clarification Note
• Winchfield Parish Council response to the Examiners Clarification Note

Submitted plan and supporting documents

The Submitted Neighbourhood Plan and supporting documents can be found below:

• Winchfield Neighbourhood Plan 2022 – 2037
• Evidence Base
• Appendix 1 Landscape Character Assessment
• Appendix 2 Winchfield Key Views
• Winchfield Neighbourhood Plan Consultation Statement
• Winchfield Neighbourhood Plan Basic Conditions Statement

For the Winchfield Neighbourhood Development Plan, the screening opinions for the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) concluded that neither a full SEA nor an Appropriate Assessment under the HRA were required.

The Referendum version of the new plan and all the supporting documents are here:

• Winchfield Neighbourhood Plan – Referendum version
• Winchfield Neighbourhood Plan Appendix A1: Landscape Character Assessment
• Winchfield Neighbourhood Plan Appendix A2: Key Views
• Examiner’s Report
• Decision to proceed to Referendum
• Summary of Representations at Reg 16 (submission)

Additional Information

Please see the separate page for information on details of Community Engagement.

Thank you for your interest in and involvement with our Neighbourhood Plan.