Tuesday 22 December 2015

Outline of the Draft Neighbourthood Plan - Your Opportunity to Comment


NOCTON AND POTTERHANWORTH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
 
January, 2016

Dear Resident,
 
First, may we say “thank you” to all those villagers who returned their Neighbourhood Plan Questionnaires.  The response was overwhelming (some 42% overall!) and this has enabled the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group to produce the first draft of our Plan (which is set out below this letter).  Hopefully, we have captured your key messages and thoughts on how our two villages should develop over the next twenty years or so and this is your opportunity to let us know if we are on “right track”.  We have, however, highlighted three issues on which we would like your further views (particularly around the future of the former Hospital site at Nocton Hall) so please take a few moments to look at this draft Plan and either:

 (1)       Submit your further comments to your Parish Clerk by email or letter to:

            Steve Altridge (01526 321760) – noctonparishcouncil@hotmail.co.uk

 Gemma McClue (01522 875752) – potterhanworthparishcouncil@gmail.com
 
(2)       Use our interactive blog spot at http://nocpotplan.blogspot.co.uk/

(3)               Come along to one or other of the following meetings of your Parish Councils
            where there will be further presentations on the Neighbourhood Plan:

 Nocton – 12th January at 7.00 p.m.     Potterhanworth – 18th January at 7.00 p.m.

Further information can, of course, be found on the Parish Council websites:

Nocton – http://parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk/Nocton/

Potterhanworth – http://parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk/potterhanworth/

Finally, if you would like to speak to someone about any aspect of the Plan, then please contact your Parish Clerk who will be pleased to put you in touch with the person who can best deal with your enquiry.

 Yours sincerely,
 

Ian Goldsworthy                             Harold Bourne

                                    

Chair of Nocton Parish Council         Chair of Potterhanworth Parish Council

 


NOCTON AND POTTERHANWORTH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
 
PROPOSED POLICIES FOR CONSULTATION
 
AIMS (vision for the future)

The residents of Nocton and Potterhanworth wish to:

  • Maintain the peaceful and rural character of their villages
  • Promote a sustainable and friendly community where people feel safe and have a high quality of life
  • Maintain and enhance the surrounding countryside with its local wildlife habitats and recreational opportunities
OBJECTIVES (how to achieve the vision)
 
  • To preserve and enhance the landscape setting and internal character of the villages and outlying settlements
  • To promote the integration of the various neighbourhood areas within the villages, and between all the settlements in the parishes, through new and enhanced pedestrian and cycle links
  • To support additional but limited and sustainable high quality housing development in accordance with the developing Central Lincolnshire Plan 2012-2036, in appropriate locations, which promotes the ‘semi-rural’ character of the villages through the adoption of appropriate building styles, low densities, and green infrastructure
  • To facilitate a sustainable solution for the Nocton Hall Hospital site which allows for limited development in order to stabilise the Hall ruin, clear the hospital site of derelict buildings and other infrastructure, and manage the area as a publicly accessible green space

[Questions for consultation: Is this supported?  What is considered an acceptable number of houses on the site?  What other possible and realistic uses are there for this site other than/in addition to housing?]

  • To promote improvements to non-motorised and public transport, utility infrastructure and digital connectivity
  • To endorse policies that have a positive effect on the environment, including those that remove or minimise flood risk, contribute to mitigating climate change and reduce our carbon footprint
SPECIFIC POLICIES

Housing and the Built Environment

·      To support the provision of limited additional and sustainable housing development in accordance with the provisions of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan (currently quoted as a max of 16 units across the two villages)

·      No further development outside the village curtilages

(NB: smaller settlements such as Potterhanworth Booths and Wasps Nest would be treated as 'countryside' under the Local Plan)

·      Support infill development where this is of an appropriate design and location

·      Encourage a broad mix of property sizes and types in any proposed development other than infill

·      Nocton Hall Hospital site to be treated as an “exception” to the Local Plan housing allocation and the principles of size of development

·      Any development to be sympathetic to the existing buildings within the villages, particularly those within the Conservation Areas

[Questions for consultation: Are there any sites within the villages which are suitable for small-scale housing development to meet the additional housing required by the Local Plan?  Is an additional 16 units over the next 20 years appropriate to meet future needs? If not, what would be considered appropriate?]

·      Support appropriate wind and/or solar installations for domestic use

·      No large-scale wind or solar panel farms

·      No fracking

·      No oil drilling

·      Any future development to actively consider reducing where possible the carbon footprint of the area

Transport and Access to Local Services

 
·      Maintain and enhance local bus services with particular reference to evening and weekend services, and the provision of further bus stops to meet future needs

·      Ensure any future development includes provision for non-motorised transport as well as cars and allows such traffic to link safely with existing routes

·      Maintain and enhance road, footpath and pavement quality

·      Improve road safety by ensuring appropriate measures are developed to improve traffic flows in, and leading to, any new development as well as to existing areas of the Parishes

·      Reduce traffic levels, in particular heavy goods traffic

 [Question for consultation: How might this be achieved?]

 Local Economy

 
·      Support proposals for business development/light industrial units on the brownfield site at Station Road, Potterhanworth

·      Promote tourism opportunities such as the Spires and Steeples Trail, Nocton Village Trail and countryside walks

Community Wellbeing

 
·      Support any proposals to provide access to primary care medical services in the villages and to work with any potential provider to identify an appropriate location

·      Preserve and enhance facilities of the Nocton Village Hall, Potterhanworth Memorial Hall and Potterhanworth Pavilion

·      Preserve and enhance play and recreational provision ensuring that these are taken into account in any future development

·      Retain The Chequers as a public house and oppose conversion into residential use

·      Support any proposal to open a community shop

·      Support local amenities such as Nocton Post Office, St Andrews' Church and All Saints Church

·      Improve broadband and mobile phone signals for all residents in the parishes including outlying settlements

·      Support local educational provision

·      Identify a site for a burial ground in Nocton

 Quality of Life and Environment

 
·      Encourage the preservation of, or increase in, the number of trees in any development

·      Promote wildlife by preserving habitats and including wildlife 'corridors' in agricultural land

·      Maintain and enhance countryside walks