Screen Reader Mode Icon

Welcome to the consultation on the Sherfield English Neighbourhood Development Plan (the 'NDP').

Your feedback is vital to the success of the Plan.
 
This consultation is about the ‘Policies’ at the heart of the NDP.  Policies are a formal statement of the views consistently expressed by residents in recent surveys, and will be carried forward into the final document.
 
It has been compiled by the Sherfield English Parish Council's NDP Steering Group together with professional consultants. 

This survey is primarily for residents in the Parish of Sherfield English, but also for owners of businesses in the Parish. If you have some other connection with the village please take part but state your interest in the first question.

The survey is anonymous. If you want your comments to be identified with you please email sedca@sherfieldenglish.org.uk or contact any Parish Councillor. 
(If more than one member of your household wishes to complete the survey they are welcome to do so, but due to SurveyMonkey’s security precautions, they may need to use a different physical computer or phone.)

Question Title

* 1. Are you a resident of Sherfield English?

Question Title

* 2. 1.      Do you own a business which is wholly or partially based in Sherfield English Parish?

Policies in the Neighbourhood Plan

‘Policies’ are the format in which the NDP’s principal statements are written to make it compatible with the TVBC Local Plan. These policies have been created in response to the parish surveys/consultations that have taken place over recent years. After review by TVBC and independent examiners our NDP will have the same legal standing as the rest of TVBC’s Local Plan.

The policies are proposed to cover the following topics and we would like your views on the content.

-         Housing

-         Local Green Space

-         Important Views

-         Protecting Wildlife and Environment

-         Dark Night Skies

-         Rights of Way and Permissive Paths

-         Rural Employment and Tourism

When we get to the 'Pre-submission Draft' of the Plan in the spring there will be more detail needing your comment, but at this stage we are asking about the main issues.
Housing Policies

We need your views on the following:

·        Sites allocated for housing development

·        Housing mix

Our work to date (Housing Needs Survey and Assessment) has highlighted that there is a need for more housing in the Parish. In particular, there is a need for smaller dwellings (2-3 bedrooms) and affordable housing for rent/sale. In this regard, we are proposing to allocate the following:

-         A site for Affordable Housing (10 or fewer dwellings) specifically to meet local need (people in the Parish, not people elsewhere in TVBC).  (For a definition of 'Affordable Housing' see: https://www.planningportal.co.uk/directory_record/93/affordable_housing_or_sub-market_housing 

-         A few other sites for housing (no more than 10 dwellings in each), to meet a range of identified requirements for the Parish over the next 10 to 15 years. e.g. young couples, down-sizers.

These sites would be assessed by Test Valley Borough Council, by independent consultants, and by the Sherfield English NDP Steering Group, based on residents' views.

Question Title

* 3. 1. Do you agree that an Affordable Housing site of 10 or fewer dwellings to meet local need should be allocated?

Question Title

* 4. 1.      Do you agree that, over the course of the next 10 to 15 years, a small number of further housing sites should be allocated to meet identified local need?  There would be no more than 10 dwellings on each site, and no more than one site in any one year.

Question Title

* 5. Do you have any suggestions for where these sites should be located?

Local Green Space

National Policy makes provision for local communities to identify green areas of particular importance to those communities, where development will not be permitted except in very special circumstances. These Local Green Spaces can be designated through the local plan or through neighbourhood plans.

A Local Green Space must be demonstrably special to a local community and holds a particular local significance, for example because of its beauty, historic significance recreational value (including as a playing field), tranquillity or richness of its wildlife. 

A number of sites have been proposed to us and your views are needed. 

A map of currently proposed Local Green Spaces is also on the village web site. If you click on this link you can view it at the same time as answering the following questions. The numbers correspond to those used in the list of names below: 

SE NDP Green Spaces
Also viewable at https://www.sherfieldenglish.org.uk/maps-for-the-ndp

Question Title

* 6. Do you agree that the Plan should include a policy on Local Green Spaces?

Question Title

* 7. Do you agree that any of the following sites should be proposed Local Green Spaces, where development is allowed only in very special circumstances? Please tick all of those which you think should be included.

Important Views

Whilst there are numerous views of importance across the Parish, we can only formally designate those views considered to be of special value.

These will be defined in the Parish Character Appraisal and Design Guide (CADG), based on residents' opinions.

We are seeking to protect these views from inappropriate development with particular attention paid to those areas which are located on rising topography or are visible in the longer distance.

Question Title

* 8. Do you agree with the inclusion of a policy on important views?

Question Title

* 9. What suggestions do you have for important views that you think should be protected?

Protecting Wildlife and Environment

Sherfield English is an ecologically very diverse parish, and includes UK national priority habitats of ancient lowland and wet woodlands, trees, hedgerows, ponds, watercourses, meadows, grazing marsh, Purple Moor Grass and Rush pastures.  There are 37 designated SINCs. (See below for acronym key.)

We have parish records of protected species of bats, dormice, great crested newts and badgers as well as other UK 'red list' endangered flora and fauna. 

We will be seeking the provision of at least a 10% biodiversity net gain from any new development proposal, which means that there will be a net positive impact upon our natural environment to support local and global targets. Development proposals should always seek to retain high priority habitats of ancient, veteran and notable trees and native hedgerows, and enhance the local biodiversity within our Parish. They should also maintain and create wildlife corridors to and from the following:  

•            Mottisfont Bats SAC / SSSI
•            Dunbridge Pit SSSI*
•            Brickworth Down and Dean Hill SSSI
•            Whiteparish Common SSSI
•            The New Forest SPA / SAC / SSSI
•            The River Test SSSI
•            The Solent Maritime SAC
•            Emer Bog SAC
All of these officially designated areas have Sherfield English within their defined broader catchment areas.

Key for UK Statutory designations:
SINC      Site of Importance to Nature Conversation
SSSI       Site of Special Scientific Interest
SAC       Special Area of Conservation
SPA       Special Protection Area

Question Title

* 10. Do you agree with the inclusion of a policy to protect, maintain and enhance the biodiversity of Sherfield English?

Question Title

* 11. Are there any locations in the Parish which you think are particularly important for wildlife?

If so, please identify them.

Question Title

* 12. Dark Night Skies

The Parish currently benefits from Dark Night Skies, due primarily to the absence of street lighting. We seek to preserve and enhance this, recognising the tranquillity and ecological benefits that it provides.

Therefore we seek to limit the installation of external lighting in new developments, keeping it to the minimum necessary for its intended purpose, while mitigating any adverse impact.

Do you agree with the inclusion of this policy?

Question Title

* 13. Rights of Way and Permission Paths

The Parish benefits from a wide network of footpaths and Rights of Way. Some are in need of improvement and maintenance, and some would be more useful if they could be extended.

Do you think a policy to maintain and/or propose new footpaths should be included within the Plan?

Question Title

* 14. Would you support the creation of a footpath along Branches Lane between the A27 and the Caravan Park/Village Post Office?

Question Title

* 15. Are there any other specific locations or routes that you think would benefit from a new footpath? If so, please specify.

Question Title

* 16. Rural Employment and Tourism

The Plan will encourage appropriate development which enables our remaining agricultural and other rural operations to continue and grow, existing businesses to extend, and appropriate new businesses to develop at existing business sites, including redundant farm buildings.

We understand that there are issues relating to the concentration of commercial covered growing areas, such as polytunnels and glasshouses in certain locations. Therefore, we are proposing that these should only be allowed where they do not create adverse visual impact or obstruct identified wildlife corridors.

Applications for small scale tourism-related uses will generally be welcomed and supported, subject to meeting other policies within the Plan, including Green Spaces, Important Views, Bio-diversity and Dark Skies.

Do you agree with the inclusion of a rural employment policy?

Question Title

* 17. Do you think there is a problem, in certain locations, with covered growing areas such as polytunnels and glasshouses?

Question Title

* 18. Do you agree with a policy welcoming small scale tourism-related use, subject to compatibility with all the other policies?

Question Title

* 19. Anything else?

Do you feel these policies cover everything in the Parish that should be part of TVBC Planning Policy?

End of Survey

Thank you for participating in this consultation.

This is our Plan for our village. Everyone’s input is vital to the acceptance of the Neighbourhood Plan by the community, and its adoption by TVBC.

Through this Plan we hope to maintain Sherfield English as a thriving and evolving community, a place that people enjoy living in. We aim to maintain and where possible enhance both its amenities and its rural character, including its many and varied habitats.

Response to this survey is anonymous. If you want your comments to be identified with you, or have any questions, please email sedca@sherfieldenglish.org.uk or contact any of the Parish Councillors.
0 of 19 answered
 

T