What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
The Government is encouraging - and funding - all local communities to produce their own Neighbourhood Plan and create a vision of how they would like their environment to develop in the next 5, 10, 15 or 20 years. The aim is to pass decision-making to a more local level, from local government to local communities.
What can a Neighbourhood Plan do?
A Neighbourhood Plan is about the use and development of land. It can guide future development, regeneration and conservation in our Plan Area, the Parish of Datchet. It will allow us to say as a community, how we’d like to see any new development designed and located within the Parish, and how we’d like our heritage to be protected. Although it can’t deal with non-planning matters, it can identify issues of a non-planning nature as separate projects, for instance traffic management or street cleaning.
What can’t it do?
A Neighbourhood Plan must have regard to National Policies, such as the expansion of Heathrow Airport; it can’t promote less development than that identified in the Borough Local Plan (currently at draft stage); and its scope is limited by the flood zone, Green Belt and Conservation Area.
Whose plan is it?
This is our plan. It’s a chance for all of us to say how we see Datchet’s future. Datchet’s Neighbourhood Plan group needs to hear everyone’s views, aspirations, wants and needs on topics such as:
- · How should we maintain and improve the character of Datchet?
- · What sort of housing and infrastructure do we need?
- · How can we safeguard our environment, our open spaces and their biodiversity?
- · How can we protect our heritage?
- · How can we encourage local businesses and shops?
How can I get involved?
By telling us what you think. Datchet’s Neighbourhood Plan group is led by volunteers whose role is to gather opinions from everyone who lives or works in the village. Over the next year or so, you’ll be asked for your thoughts on a variety of subjects. There will be events, meetings, and questionnaires to complete. Please look out for more information on village noticeboards, in shop windows, on Facebook/Datchet Eye, on this website, (and on our Datchet Neighbourhood Plan website in due course). We need your help, too, in spreading the word to friends, neighbours and colleagues, young and old.
What happens then?
When we’ve gathered everyone’s thoughts, the Datchet Neighbourhood Plan group will draft a Plan for Datchet. This will include a vision for the future of the village, with proposals for improvements, new facilities, the allocation of key sites for specific kinds of development, and any projects you have identified. There will then be a village-wide referendum, giving everyone the chance to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the plan. If it’s successful, it will form part of the statutory development plan for Datchet.
Can you help?
If you’d like to help with Datchet Neighbourhood Plan events, deliver leaflets, or just want to find out more, please get in touch. Do you run a local group? If so, could you help us get the word out by sending questionnaires and information to your group?
Datchet’s Neighbourhood Plan Group's website
Or contact Datchet’s Neighbourhood Plan Group: