Steventon Neighbourhood
Plan 
Update on our Draft Neighbourhood Plan : January 2020
We need your help in refining the Housing Policies that will shape the future of our village
Whether you’ve always lived in our village and are concerned about the nature of growth in recent years, or you’re a relative ‘newcomer’ attracted to our village to make your home, we need your data and opinions.
We will ultimately put our finished policies before you all, in a referendum next year, so we need to ensure that they reflect the views of the majority of the residents
Our vision remains “To protect and enhance the rural identity and heritage of our village whilst ensuring its future sustainability”
But because
- our data from the last Census in 2011 is so out of date
- the excellent response to the 2015 Residents’ Questionnaire was quite general
- the response to the 2017 Housing Questionnaire was relatively small compared to the current size of the village
We need as many of you as possible to respond to the forthcoming Questionnaire
We cannot prohibit the building of new houses, but together we can shape it’s scale, location & style. Your opinion really can make a difference
Details will appear in the February SN, but for now we need
- each of you to be aware of your role in shaping our future
- offers of help with distribution & collection
- to watch this space!
Update on our Draft Neighbourhood Plan October 2019
Catherine Brickwood and Nigel Goode have now joined our Steering Group, replacing Dick Bosley & Jon Spiller, who both retired as Parish Councilors earlier in the year.
Our thanks go to both Dick & Jon for their contributions over the last 4 years.
We are now working closely with the Vale’s new NDP Officers
- Refining our draft policies
- Validating our evidence base
- Compiling our supporting statements
- Ensuring compliance with the Vale’s newly adopted Local Plan pt 2
We intend to conduct another short residents’ survey in the next few months and will be presenting our progress to date, in a public meeting early next year.
Update on our Draft Neighbourhood Plan March 2019
Since the last update we have been working to
- Conclude our 2018 Character Assessment
- Refine the draft plan and it’s policies
- Preparation of the Basic Conditions Statement
We are also awaiting news on the latest round of funding for NDP Grants from Locality
The timetable for NDP completion and ultimate approval by the residents of Steventon is as follows:
By end of March
Further drafting of NDP
Draft Green Space Assessment
By end of April
Consultation with statutory bodies & stakeholders
Submission of all Plans & statements to the Vale
By end of May
Submit for external Examination & consider recommendations
Before School Holidays ( mid July )
Referendum organised by the Vale
Update on our Draft Neighbourhood Plan
At our Public meeting in October we presented
- The outcomes of our 2017 Housing Survey
- The conclusions of our 2018 Character Assessment
and explained how these pieces of evidence have shaped the policies in our draft Plan
We are now working closely with our chosen Consultant
- refining the draft plan and it’s policies
- collating our evidence base
The timetable for its completion and ultimate approval by the residents of Steventon is as follows:
By end of February
Final drafting
Preparation of basic conditions and consultant statements
By Easter ( mid April )
Consultation with statutory bodies & stakeholders
Submission of all Plans & statements to the Vale
By end of May
Submit for external Examination & consider recommendations
Before School Holidays ( mid July )
Referendum organised by the Vale
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A report on the meeting held onTuesday 23rd October 7.00 to 8.00
at the Village Hall will be posted shortly
We would like to invite all Steventon residents, new & old, to an update on the progress of our emerging Neighbourhood Plan, when we will share with you:
- The outcomes of our 2017 Housing Survey
- The conclusions of our 2018 Character Assessment
And how these pieces of evidence have shaped the policies in our draft Plan
We welcome your feedback and comments on how our village is evolving and how we can shape the years ahead.
You don’t need to have attended previous meeting or understand what a NDP is, you just need to live in the village and care about it’s future.
We will also outline the process to completion and how you are all to be involved, so please don’t miss this opportunity.
Light refreshments will be served, so come and join us!
Previously
There have been major delays in progressing the Neighbourhood Plan. The Neighbourhood Planning officer at the Vale has resigned and no replacement has been employed. We have employed Bluestone Planning to help write a character assessment. Untill the Vale progresses our SEA application we cannot submit. It is now likely to be the Autumn or later. May 2018
We are still working on the Neighbourhood Plan October 2017
Update April 2017
We have now embarked upon the next phase in the completion of our Plan and need your involvement.
We have previously compiled a list of objectives to help achieve the chosen mission statement:
To protect and enhance the rural identity and heritage of our village whilst ensuring its future sustainability
Now, each Working Group is now turning them into Policies, compliant with the Vale’s Local Plan Part 1.&2.
In order to substantiate these policies, we need
- A character assessment of our village at present
- A landscape assessment of our surroundings and
- A Housing Survey, to identify our future needs
In April we will be distributing to all residents, a Questionnaire seeking more data and your opinions relating to existing and future housing within our Parish.
Once again we will be asking for your assistance in distributing and completing this important piece of work.
We will also be convening another Open meeting to present & discuss our draft polices, later in the month. So please look out for our notices, for further details.
Please also look on our Website: and follow progress at https://steventonnp.wordpress.com
Update December 2016
Having spent the last year since the Residents Questionnaire collating evidence and completing the Baseline Assessment and Scoping Report, we are now embarking upon the next phase in the completion of our Plan.
With your help we have compiled a list of objectives to help achieve the chosen mission statement:
To protect and enhance the rural identity and heritage of our village whilst ensuring its future sustainability
And must now turn them into Policies, compliant with the Vale’s Local Plan Part 1. Then in a few months’ time these will be put to you all for approval via a referendum.
With advice from the Vale, we have chosen to follow the path recently used successfully by Blewbury Parish Council involving the production of
- A character assessment of our village at present
- A landscape assessment of our surroundings and
- A housing survey, to identify our future needs
In the New Year we will be distributing another Residents Questionnaire seeking more data and your opinions relating to existing and future housing within our Parish.
Once again we will be asking for your assistance in distributing and completing this important piece of work.
The current NDP group is a mix of Councilors and residents that came together originally early in 2015. If you would like to join us, as we embark on the final phase, please contact us, either via our clerk or our website: https://steventonnp.wordpress.com ,or email: steventonneigh@gmail.com
Knowledge of the history of various plots of Communal Land within our village
The PC has identified various sites around the village, it wishes to register in order to protect it from development. If you have lived in one particular area of the village for over 25 years and can accurately give an account of how the land has been used, I’d like to hear from you.
Robert Green tel. 831589 or please contact another Parish Councillor
Older posts
Drainage provision new developments
As part of the research for the Neighbourhood Plan we commissioned a report by HR Wallingford on the type and
suitability of the drainage (SuDS) installed in the new housing developments. You can read it here.
The report was forwarded to the Head of Planning at the Vale of White Horse and we eventually received a letter in response and a report from their drainage consultants. You can read the letter and the report.
Where we are now:
Update on progress: Steventon 2030
We are considering a change of direction that will still provide a Neighbourhood Plan but at less cost and with no site allocations.
Open meeting Monday 6th June The presentation is available here as a pdf.
Please give us your comments on progress
Where we started:
Steventon is starting to develop a Neighbourhood Plan and needs your help.
We are setting up contacts on Twitter and Facebook and a dedicated website follow this link Steventon Neighbourhood Plan
The Parish Plan completed in 2004 can be read here and a summary of the aims here The Neighbourhood Plan will have many similarities and updates but will also be scrutinised by the Vale of White Horse District Council and approved as complying with the Local Plan. It will then be part of the planning system and areas designated as preferred by it will take precedence for development.