The latest version of the Neighbourhood Plan was discussed at the full Parish Council meeting on 3rd April 2017 and as a result the Plan needs additional changes to be made. The background to this follows:

This version (version 7) recommended to the Parish Council that although the village has recently been given a zero housing allocation from Hart that the proposed development for 40 dwellings at Wintney Court should remain as a supported site in the plan as this site has a number of benefits including that the mix of dwellings proposed would meet the needs as identified through the village consultations. All other previously proposed sites were changed to a reserve status in case of further development being needed during the plan period up to 2032. It was also recommended by our Planning Consultant and agreed to by the Steering Group that the inclusion of a single site should be made to minimise the risks that going forward with a zero allocation might incur.

Some of these risks are
       - The local plan when developed fails to pass examination (as happened in 2013)
       - There is a future need to co-operate with Surrey Heath which would increase the overall Hart housing numbers
       - Hart are not yet able to demonstrate a three year land supply (and if other sites come forward with an application and if the Neighbourhood Plan has a “zero allocation” then there is a greater risk that this will be included  as an opportunity to meet the three-year allocation)
all of which could be vigorously contested if a Neighbourhood Plan existed which demonstrated a realistic allocation of housing had been considered and included.

However the Parish Council did not agree with this recommendation and decided that the Plan should proceed with a zero allocation approach only with no formally proposed sites and that Wintney Court should also be changed to reserve status.

Therefore the Steering Group will now be revising the Plan to reflect this instruction which will be included in a new revision (version 8) being available for a further Parish Council review and publication on the web site in early May.

Further details will follow when appropriate.