Below is a timetable detailing the work to develop the neighbourhood plan.
Additional meetings may be called going forward to discuss individual Community Action Projects such as campaigning for the introduction of 20mph speed limit in place of the 30mph limit and a reduced speed limit and pedestrian crossing on the A35. If you are interested to join such an action group please contact: [email protected]
Additional meetings may be called going forward to discuss individual Community Action Projects such as campaigning for the introduction of 20mph speed limit in place of the 30mph limit and a reduced speed limit and pedestrian crossing on the A35. If you are interested to join such an action group please contact: [email protected]
News & Progress
2022 October
10th October - East Devon District Council decided to ‘make’ (adopt) the Kilmington Parish Neighbourhood Plan.
2022 September
9th September - Declaration of the result:
Number cast in favour of a Yes - 288. (94.5%)
Number cast in favour of a No - 17. (5.5%)
Electorate: 735, Ballot Papers Issued: 305, Turnout: 41.5%
8th September - Referendum held in Kilmington Village Hall.
2022 July
The EDDC Cabinet review and approve the Plan and the recommended changes from the examiner. They agree the Plan can now be submitted to referendum.
2022 June
The Examiner has asked for clarification on a small number of points before completing and submitting her final report to EDDC. Correspondence and the final report can be viewed at: https://eastdevon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/neighbourhood-and-community-plans/neighbourhood-plans/neighbourhood-plans-being-produced-in-east-devon/kilmington/#article-content
2022 March
Public Meeting Sunday 6 March 7:00pm and Monday 7 March 10:30am in Kilmington Village Hall to present the Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan with an opportunity to ask questions. Discussions with EDDC Planning and an Independent Examiner appointed to examine the NP following the Reg 16 Consultation.
2022 April
Comments from Reg 16 Consultation are published by EDDC. Comments can be viewed here.
2022 February
The East Devon District Council Policy Team confirms that, in their opinion, the relevant legal requirements at Submission stage have been fully met and the Plan can proceed to Regulation 16 Consultation.
2022 January
EDDC reviewed the KNP documents submitted and suggested some changes to ensure the outcome of the SEA/HRA screening exercise was clearly reflected in the plan following the Reg14 Consultation. Changes were made and EDDC Planning passed the documents to their Digital Services Officer to make them accessible, in line with Government rules, for publication by EDDC.
2021 December
7th December The KNP Team met to review the Regulation 14 Consultation Reponses Table and the revised /updated KNP. The Team members discussed and reviewed the KNP and were unanimous that the KNP documents represented the Team’s best efforts for the interests of the Parish. The Team unanimously approved the KNP documents and resolved that they should be submitted to the Parish Council with the recommendation that they be formally submitted to East Devon District Council.
13th December Kilmington Parish Council met to consider approval of the Plan and for the Neighbourhood Plan documentation to be submitted to East Devon District Council for adoption. Councillors discussed and considered the KNP documents and the KNP Team’s recommendation. Cllr. Trott proposed that the Parish Council approve the Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan and that the KNP documents be formally submitted to East Devon District Council for adoption. Seconded by Cllr. Ball. All were in favour. The Clerk and Cllr. Ball were asked to submit the documents. Cllr. Trott said that the Neighbourhood Plan project had been a mammoth task and on behalf of the Council and the Community he wished to thank Cllr. Ball and the other members of the KNP Team for all their hard work and commitment to the project over the last few years.
2021 November
Preparation of the Basic Condition Statement and Consultation Statement which must accompany the submission of the Neighbourhood Plan: Discussions with Stuart Todd (consultant) and provision of evidence to enable him to produce a draft Consultation Statement and Basic Condition Statement.
Review of the plan and all appendices to ensure all changes and updates have been fully included. During this process we took the opportunity to further discuss with and take advice from EDDC Planning and the Forestry Commission to develop the clarity of the plan wording. Final draft sent to the Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan Team for review and approval to submit to the KPC. Review meeting set for Dec 7th.
2021 October
Meeting with Angela King NP Planning Office EDDC to discuss progress and seek guidance on Reg 16 content and submission.
2021 September
EDDC have informed us that Natural England have responded to say that they are now satisfied with the additional work undertaken by EDDC Planning and Landscape and Conservation officers, their methodology, evidence and conclusions of the SEA/HRA Screening Assessment. Therefore on the basis on which the assessment was undertaken – i.e. based on the draftplan and proposals at Reg 14 draft - but with some minor adjustments / mitigating measures, it is concluded that no SEA or HRA is required. We can now proceed with the Regulation 16 Submission documentation.
2021 May
National Planning, the emerging Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plans
In a webinar held by EDDC Planning the relationship between Neighbourhood Plans and the emerging Local Plan was discussed. They reported that:
The Strategic Planning Committee have shown their strong support for neighbourhood planning and acknowledged the hard work put in by communities, and the need to engage with neighbourhood planning groups on the development of the new Local Plan. They supported the recommendations for us to undertake research into and report on NP content as part of the evidence base for the Local Plan and the development of a Communications Plan for consulting and engaging with Neighbourhood Planning Groups.
The Government has published its joint response to consultations on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and the proposed National Model Design Code, and has issued final versions of both documents.
The updated version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) replaces the 2019 version. This will be what the new Local Plan, and emerging/reviewed Neighbourhood Plans, will now be considered against. Those with emerging plans should not be unduly alarmed as a vast majority of the text and policies remain as at the 2019 version, but there are some key changes.
With specific reference to neighbourhood plans, paragraph 70 has been updated to emphasise that NPs should now give particular consideration to the opportunities for allocated small and medium sized sites suitable for housing in their area [my emphasis - this previously only required ‘consideration’]. There is also a stronger emphasis throughout on improving biodiversity, and mitigating and adapting to climate change (both of which already feature strongly in many of our neighbourhood plans).
As expected, there is a significant emphasis on securing high quality (“beautiful”) design, including through design guides, codes and masterplans. At paragraph 128/129, the NPPF sets out that all local planning authorities should prepare design guides or codes consistent with the principles set out in the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code, and which reflect local character and design preferences, and that in terms of geography, these could be area-wide, neighbourhood or site-specific scale.
Neighbourhood Plans and Neighbourhood Plan groups are actively encouraged to engage in the effort to improve design quality “both through their own plans and by engaging in the production of design policy, guidance and codes by local planning authorities and developers.“ (paragraph 127). The accompanying Government press release stated an expectation that “Adopted neighbourhood plans will demonstrate clear local leadership in design quality, with the framework allowing groups seeking such plans to truly reflect the community’s expectations on how new development will visually contribute to their area.”
Kilmington NP progress: EDDC advise that they have completed the necessary additional work on assessing landscape and heritage impact of the 2 allocations proposed in our draft neighbourhood plan for the SEA/HRA Screening Assessment. This involved detailed work undertaken by Planning and the Landscape and Heritage officers, including site visits. The findings of this support the conclusions of the original Screening Assessment that neither a Strategic Environmental Assessment nor Habitats Regulations Assessment is required. EDDC will now re-consult with the statutory consultees Historic England, Natural England and the Environment Agency on this revised updated Screening Assessment report. They will be given a further 6 weeks to respond, with a deadline of 24th June. Various suggestions for mitigating impact have been put forward in these assessments by EDDC which we now have to consider.
2021 April
At the request of E J Dayment Ltd. Councillors Ball & Seward met with Mr Dayment to discuss his land at Gapemouth Corner following the rejection by EDDC of his planning application 20/1802/FUL to build commercial units on the site. Mr Dayment asked if the Parish Council could suggest if there was any opportunity to develop the site. Councillors Ball & Seward reconfirmed the Kilmington Parish Council views as stated in the draft NP and also the Parish Council response submitted to EDDC following his application.
2021 March
The NP Team continue to review the consultation responses received with the support of EDDC. The responses from Natural England and Historic England have asked for further site-specific assessment to be undertaken to assess the potential for harm of the allocations in particular to both support their inclusion in the Neighbourhood Plan and to more fully evidence the EDDC Screening Assessment. EDDC have reviewed the expectations set out in the responses and in the first instance have proposed to undertake the requested landscape and heritage assessment work and investigate further with their colleagues in terms of the impact on habitats.
EDDC have informed us that their Conservation and Landscape Officers continue to work on the landscape and heritage impact assessments following the Planning Officers site visit. Issues raised by Natural England regarding the River Axe SAC and phosphate levels affect the whole catchment area in both east Devon and south Somerset. This work will take a little longer than thought.
EDDC call for sites for the Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA)
Responding to the call for sites for the HELAA the Parish Council have agreed to submit the two proposed development sites in the NP – land off of George Lane Policy HD3 and land off Whitford Road Policy HD4.
2021 February
Regulation 14 Pre-submission Consultation period ended on 28th February 2021
Thank you to all those who sent us comments. The feedback we received by the end of the consultation period 28th February 2021 will now be considered by the Parish Council. A planning judgement will be taken and a decision will be made over whether or not to amend the Plan in response to each representation before the Plan is submitted to East Devon District Council for further consultation and on to independent examination.
Individuals’ comments will be anonymised in the report of comments received which will be made public in the coming weeks. Organisations, agencies, private businesses and consultants etc. will normally be named. Any contact information you may have provided will be held on a database and used to assist in the preparation of planning documents. The information will be used in accordance with the Data Protection Act (2018) and the data privacy policies of Kilmington Parish Council.
For any further information regarding the Plan please contact Adrian Jenkins, Kilmington Parish Clerk, Tower View Fruit Farm, Offwell EX14 9RW Tel: 01404 43220 or email: [email protected].
2021 January
The Neighbourhood Plan Team are available to answer questions and discuss the draft NP with Parishioners during this consultation period. If you have any questions please contact a member of the team.
2020 December
Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan Published
For your information Kilmington Parish Council has published the draft Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan as part of the formal Regulation 14 pre-submission consultation process. It can be accessed and downloaded, together with all the supporting documents, on the Kilmington Village Website: www.kilmingtonvillage.com
A feedback form can also be downloaded from the website and hard copies are available in the phone box library on Jubilee Green and at The Beacon and St Giles churches Kilmington. Using this form will help us to efficiently review your comments.
We welcome all your comments on these proposals and policies.
All feedback received by the end of the consultation period 28th February 2021 will be considered by the Parish Council. A planning judgement will be taken and a decision will be made over whether or not to amend the Plan in response to each representation before the Plan is submitted to East Devon District Council for further consultation and on to independent examination.
Please email feedback forms to: [email protected] or by post to The Clerk to the Parish Council, Tower View Fruit Farm, Offwell, EX14 9RW.
Individuals’ comments will be anonymised in the ‘Report of Comments Received’, which will be made public following consultation. It will be helpful for us to understand where in the Parish you live in relation to some Plan proposals. You may also wish to provide your details to be contacted in the future about progress with the Plan. Organisations, agencies, private businesses and consultants etc. will normally be named. If you are representing one of these and you would prefer that your response should be anonymised, please advise us on the form. Any contact information you may provide will be held on a database and used to assist in the preparation of planning documents. The information will be used in accordance with the Data Protection Act (2018) and the data privacy policies of Kilmington Parish Council.
Hard copies of the full draft Plan are available to read in The Beacon, St Giles Church and in the phone box library for loan. If you want a hard copy and can’t source one please contact Adrian Jenkins, Kilmington Parish Clerk, Tower View Fruit Farm, Offwell EX14 9RW Tel: 01404 43220 or email: [email protected]
2020 November
To fully satisfy the legal requirements for the Regulation 14 pre-submission consultation during the current period of Government Coronavirus restrictions, the Team will now:
• extend the statutory minimum consultation period of six weeks to ten weeks to give additional time for comment during the restrictions
• publish the draft Neighbourhood Plan on the village website
• produce a leaflet which provides a summary of the Plan and its main policies and deliver it to every household and business in the Parish
• print copies of the full Plan and make them available in St Giles church, The Beacon and the telephone box library for loan. In addition copies will be delivered to those who request them, if they do not use the internet
• inform by mail any developers, agents and others we are aware of, who are not resident in Kilmington but have an interest in the village, that the Plan has been published
• post notices announcing the publication of the Plan on all village notice boards
• post a notice on the ‘Kilmington Now’ Facebook site
• issue a press release to local media announcing the publication of the Plan
• make a further reminder of the consultation process in the February edition of the village magazine – Postscript, which is delivered to every household in the Parish
• review the opportunity to hold public discussion meetings in the village hall, if Coronavirus restrictions are eased
• provide a copy of the Plan for EDDC to display at their offices
2020 October
The draft plan was discussed and approved by the Parish Council with a request that the NP team to take it to the next stage (the Regulation 14 pre-submission consultation) as soon as possible. Detailed discussions start with EDDC on the best way forward to satisfy legal requirements in view of the Coronavirus restrictions.
2020 September
A copy of our draft document was sent to EDDC Planning and we have now had some excellent feedback and guidance to help us further improve it before publication. Copies of the amended draft plan have been sent to all Kilmington Parish Councillors. The plan will be discussed by council members during a Zoom video meeting.
2020 May
EDDC have informed us that NP work nationally has been delayed and the date of first possible referendum is 6 May 2021 at present. Public meetings are not possible at present and guidance on appropriate consultation to meet legal requirements will be published soon.
2020 April
We are following Government guidance during the Coronavirus pandemic so team meetings have been cancelled. The team continues to pull together the Plan and seek guidance from EDDC.
2020 March
Our consultant has shaped the information we supplied into a first draft plan. It is clear there is some further material needed to support this first version.
2020 February
The Neighbourhood Plan Team continues to work on the plan. Progress is good and all of our draft sections, notes and other information have now been sent to our consultant. He has the unenviable task of shaping it all into a clear and precise document that we can take forward to the next stage of approval.
We should be ready to publish the draft neighbourhood plan by the beginning of April. We’ll make it available on the village website and we’ll also have some hard copies for those who can’t see it on-line. If you have any interest in the future development of your village you should read it to understand what is being proposed.
Our objective has been to create a plan which reflects the wishes of Kilmington residents, hence the various questionnaires and discussions that have taken place. Information is on the village website. If you have any questions, concerns, or further ideas to suggest we want to hear from you. And if you agree with what is being suggested we want to hear that too!
Later in April we’ll present an outline of the plan at The Annual Village Meeting on Thursday April 23rd. Please put the date in your diary and come along to discuss and give us your views. We look forward to seeing you then, or before if you have any questions.
2019 December
The Neighbourhood Planning Team is continuing to gather evidence to support the draft policies we have already written. These draft policies, which are the core of a Neighbourhood Plan, follow on from the excellent work done in the Parish Plan and Village Design Statement. We have agreed the basic layout for the Neighbourhood Plan and are now drafting the full document with the help of our consultant Stuart Todd.
The draft policies have been sent to the EDDC Planning Officer for her comments on how they align with the East Devon Villages Plan https://eastdevon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/other-plans/villages-plan/ .
Next Steps:
Please watch out for the draft pre-submission publication on the Village Website, hard copies will also be available on request; Also for details of the public meeting in February/March which will be announced in Postscript and on village notice boards. In the meantime, our draft Vision and Objectives are already on this website: https://www.kilmingtonvillage.com/our-vision--objectives.html and we welcome your feedback.
2019 November
The Kilmington Housing Needs Assessment, taken in September, has now been completed by the independent group ‘Devon Communities Together’. A copy of their report can be read here. The findings will be discussed further by the Parish Council and will be incorporated into ‘evidence’ for the Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan.
2019 October
Housing Needs Survey
Thanks to all of you who took the time to complete the recent Housing Needs Survey questionnaire. Of the 405 we delivered around the whole village, we had 160 returned, a 40% response rate. A little disappointing perhaps, by usual Kilmington standards, but nevertheless a reasonable sample and we can use the information as evidence within the Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan. The results of the Housing Needs Survey are being collated independently by ‘Devon Communities Together’ and will be presented, together with any recommendations to the Kilmington Parish Council for their consideration. We will publish the details in Postscript and on the Kilmington Village Website as soon as they are available.
2019 September
Housing Needs Survey
In our NP we must demonstrate clearly that we are seeking to address necessary housing growth within the parish. This will help us to better manage requests for planning permission from individuals or speculative developers who wish to build in Kilmington. Our objective is to ensure that any future housing meets the needs of the existing community and future arrivals. This might include, for example, a range of types of affordable housing and housing more suitable for older people. To help us better understand the quantity and type of new housing requirements of the village in the future, we need to carry out a formal “Housing Needs Assessment”. This means that, in September, we will be asking you to complete another questionnaire about you and your family’s housing needs.
Some of you may recall that Kilmington residents completed a Housing Needs Assessment questionnaire back in 2013. This information it is now some six years old and is out of date. We have obtained a grant to undertake the survey from EDDC who have commissioned Devon Communities Together (DCT), an independent charity and part of the Devon Rural Housing Partnership, to undertake the survey. They will produce an independent report for us. It is important to stress that none of the personal information you provide in the questionnaire will be disclosed to the Kilmington NP team or the Parish Council. You will be asked to send completed questionnaires direct to DCT and their staff alone will process them. Any data published in their report will not be attributable to an individual.
Affordable Housing
For those who think they might to eligible for affordable housing, there will be an Affordable Housing section within the questionnaire that will allow individuals to provide information to DCT to check and inform them of their eligibility.
We hope you will once again give us your full support in completing the questionnaire even if you do not have a housing need. All the information is important evidence to support our Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan.
2019 July
We are progressing well putting the Neighbourhood Plan (NP) together but perhaps more slowly than we had hoped. The NP is a statement of the values and plans the parish has for its future development. When completed, it has legal standing with the planning authorities.
We are being assisted in our work by an experienced consultant to ensure that our plans contain the right information and are presented in the most appropriate way.
Our consultation, with village residents at meetings and through the questionnaire, has provided excellent feedback on the key issues you feel Kilmington will face in the future. Using this information, we created a set of draft policies that will form the plan.
Right now we are gathering evidence to explain the intention and rationale for our policies. A lot of research and consultation is required to provide the necessary detailed background information. Each of our policies has to be supported by a clear, consistent, defensible and robust evidence base. Neighbourhood Plans must meet a number of legal tests, so getting your evidence base in shape is very important. When a draft plan has been developed, it has to be approved by an external examiner and the EDDC before we are allowed to proceed to a final referendum when the parish gets to say whether it wishes to adopt the plan.
We had a desk at The Village Fayre & Flower Show on 27th July, and spoke to a number of interested residents discussing various planning and traffic issues.
2019 May
In discussions with the EDDC Neighbourhood Planning Officer, he offered us the opportunity to do a Housing Needs Survey. This will provide up-to-date information on the housing needs of Kilmington residents and those with close connections to the village who wish to move here. This will be valuable evidence for our plan. Kilmington Parish Council supported this initiative and agreed we should create a tailor made questionnaire for distribution after the summer holiday period. In the meantime we continue with other evidence gathering.
2018 November
From our Objectives, we have created ‘Policy Intents’ which clearly state what each policy should address. From these Policy Intents we have drafted Policies which we will refine as the plan develops. We continue to investigate just what is possible within the limits of a neighbourhood plan and in groups have started the extensive task of gathering evidence to support our policies.
2018 October
Taking Questionnaire responses and feedback from other public meetings we have established:
- A draft Vision, describing what we want our neighbourhood area to be like at the end of the plan period
- Draft Objectives for the project, identifying issues that hopefully can be addressed through the neighbourhood plan.
2018 July
Stand at the Kilmington Village Fayre meeting residents to discuss the plan and get feedback and ideas.
2018 June
Publication of the questionnaire results:
- On village website
- In ‘Postscript’ village magazine (page 14) which is hand delivered to every household in the parish
- At two Public Meetings held in the village hall to present results of the questionnaire and have a general Q&A session on Neighbourhood Planning. 87 residents attended the two sessions.
2018 May
Three specialist NP consultants were interviewed and Stuart Todd Associates was considered the most appropriate to advise and assist the team with the project. They were established in 2012 and have provided support to over 30 neighbourhood plan groups across the south west, many in East Devon. Stuart Todd Associates have now been appointed.
2018 January Questionnaires returned (215 Over 60% response) and collation of responses and analysis starts.
2017 November Questionnaires hand delivered to each household in the Kilmington Parish, mostly with verbal introduction on delivery. Personal follow up at each household by member of the KNP Team to collect completed questionnaires.
2017 February Specific topics for investigation discussed and allocated to team individuals to explore and report back to the group.
2016 November KNPT meeting.
2016 October First meeting of the Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan Team (KNPT) ……..
2016 September Kilmington Parish Council agrees to recruit and form a team to examine creating a Neighbourhood Plan.
2016 January The requested designation that Kilmington parish be designated as a neighbourhood area was approved on the 15 January 2016.
2015 November KPC application made for a Designated Neighbourhood Area.
2022 October
10th October - East Devon District Council decided to ‘make’ (adopt) the Kilmington Parish Neighbourhood Plan.
2022 September
9th September - Declaration of the result:
Number cast in favour of a Yes - 288. (94.5%)
Number cast in favour of a No - 17. (5.5%)
Electorate: 735, Ballot Papers Issued: 305, Turnout: 41.5%
8th September - Referendum held in Kilmington Village Hall.
2022 July
The EDDC Cabinet review and approve the Plan and the recommended changes from the examiner. They agree the Plan can now be submitted to referendum.
2022 June
The Examiner has asked for clarification on a small number of points before completing and submitting her final report to EDDC. Correspondence and the final report can be viewed at: https://eastdevon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/neighbourhood-and-community-plans/neighbourhood-plans/neighbourhood-plans-being-produced-in-east-devon/kilmington/#article-content
2022 March
Public Meeting Sunday 6 March 7:00pm and Monday 7 March 10:30am in Kilmington Village Hall to present the Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan with an opportunity to ask questions. Discussions with EDDC Planning and an Independent Examiner appointed to examine the NP following the Reg 16 Consultation.
2022 April
Comments from Reg 16 Consultation are published by EDDC. Comments can be viewed here.
2022 February
The East Devon District Council Policy Team confirms that, in their opinion, the relevant legal requirements at Submission stage have been fully met and the Plan can proceed to Regulation 16 Consultation.
2022 January
EDDC reviewed the KNP documents submitted and suggested some changes to ensure the outcome of the SEA/HRA screening exercise was clearly reflected in the plan following the Reg14 Consultation. Changes were made and EDDC Planning passed the documents to their Digital Services Officer to make them accessible, in line with Government rules, for publication by EDDC.
2021 December
7th December The KNP Team met to review the Regulation 14 Consultation Reponses Table and the revised /updated KNP. The Team members discussed and reviewed the KNP and were unanimous that the KNP documents represented the Team’s best efforts for the interests of the Parish. The Team unanimously approved the KNP documents and resolved that they should be submitted to the Parish Council with the recommendation that they be formally submitted to East Devon District Council.
13th December Kilmington Parish Council met to consider approval of the Plan and for the Neighbourhood Plan documentation to be submitted to East Devon District Council for adoption. Councillors discussed and considered the KNP documents and the KNP Team’s recommendation. Cllr. Trott proposed that the Parish Council approve the Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan and that the KNP documents be formally submitted to East Devon District Council for adoption. Seconded by Cllr. Ball. All were in favour. The Clerk and Cllr. Ball were asked to submit the documents. Cllr. Trott said that the Neighbourhood Plan project had been a mammoth task and on behalf of the Council and the Community he wished to thank Cllr. Ball and the other members of the KNP Team for all their hard work and commitment to the project over the last few years.
2021 November
Preparation of the Basic Condition Statement and Consultation Statement which must accompany the submission of the Neighbourhood Plan: Discussions with Stuart Todd (consultant) and provision of evidence to enable him to produce a draft Consultation Statement and Basic Condition Statement.
Review of the plan and all appendices to ensure all changes and updates have been fully included. During this process we took the opportunity to further discuss with and take advice from EDDC Planning and the Forestry Commission to develop the clarity of the plan wording. Final draft sent to the Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan Team for review and approval to submit to the KPC. Review meeting set for Dec 7th.
2021 October
Meeting with Angela King NP Planning Office EDDC to discuss progress and seek guidance on Reg 16 content and submission.
2021 September
EDDC have informed us that Natural England have responded to say that they are now satisfied with the additional work undertaken by EDDC Planning and Landscape and Conservation officers, their methodology, evidence and conclusions of the SEA/HRA Screening Assessment. Therefore on the basis on which the assessment was undertaken – i.e. based on the draftplan and proposals at Reg 14 draft - but with some minor adjustments / mitigating measures, it is concluded that no SEA or HRA is required. We can now proceed with the Regulation 16 Submission documentation.
2021 May
National Planning, the emerging Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plans
In a webinar held by EDDC Planning the relationship between Neighbourhood Plans and the emerging Local Plan was discussed. They reported that:
The Strategic Planning Committee have shown their strong support for neighbourhood planning and acknowledged the hard work put in by communities, and the need to engage with neighbourhood planning groups on the development of the new Local Plan. They supported the recommendations for us to undertake research into and report on NP content as part of the evidence base for the Local Plan and the development of a Communications Plan for consulting and engaging with Neighbourhood Planning Groups.
The Government has published its joint response to consultations on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and the proposed National Model Design Code, and has issued final versions of both documents.
The updated version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) replaces the 2019 version. This will be what the new Local Plan, and emerging/reviewed Neighbourhood Plans, will now be considered against. Those with emerging plans should not be unduly alarmed as a vast majority of the text and policies remain as at the 2019 version, but there are some key changes.
With specific reference to neighbourhood plans, paragraph 70 has been updated to emphasise that NPs should now give particular consideration to the opportunities for allocated small and medium sized sites suitable for housing in their area [my emphasis - this previously only required ‘consideration’]. There is also a stronger emphasis throughout on improving biodiversity, and mitigating and adapting to climate change (both of which already feature strongly in many of our neighbourhood plans).
As expected, there is a significant emphasis on securing high quality (“beautiful”) design, including through design guides, codes and masterplans. At paragraph 128/129, the NPPF sets out that all local planning authorities should prepare design guides or codes consistent with the principles set out in the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code, and which reflect local character and design preferences, and that in terms of geography, these could be area-wide, neighbourhood or site-specific scale.
Neighbourhood Plans and Neighbourhood Plan groups are actively encouraged to engage in the effort to improve design quality “both through their own plans and by engaging in the production of design policy, guidance and codes by local planning authorities and developers.“ (paragraph 127). The accompanying Government press release stated an expectation that “Adopted neighbourhood plans will demonstrate clear local leadership in design quality, with the framework allowing groups seeking such plans to truly reflect the community’s expectations on how new development will visually contribute to their area.”
Kilmington NP progress: EDDC advise that they have completed the necessary additional work on assessing landscape and heritage impact of the 2 allocations proposed in our draft neighbourhood plan for the SEA/HRA Screening Assessment. This involved detailed work undertaken by Planning and the Landscape and Heritage officers, including site visits. The findings of this support the conclusions of the original Screening Assessment that neither a Strategic Environmental Assessment nor Habitats Regulations Assessment is required. EDDC will now re-consult with the statutory consultees Historic England, Natural England and the Environment Agency on this revised updated Screening Assessment report. They will be given a further 6 weeks to respond, with a deadline of 24th June. Various suggestions for mitigating impact have been put forward in these assessments by EDDC which we now have to consider.
2021 April
At the request of E J Dayment Ltd. Councillors Ball & Seward met with Mr Dayment to discuss his land at Gapemouth Corner following the rejection by EDDC of his planning application 20/1802/FUL to build commercial units on the site. Mr Dayment asked if the Parish Council could suggest if there was any opportunity to develop the site. Councillors Ball & Seward reconfirmed the Kilmington Parish Council views as stated in the draft NP and also the Parish Council response submitted to EDDC following his application.
2021 March
The NP Team continue to review the consultation responses received with the support of EDDC. The responses from Natural England and Historic England have asked for further site-specific assessment to be undertaken to assess the potential for harm of the allocations in particular to both support their inclusion in the Neighbourhood Plan and to more fully evidence the EDDC Screening Assessment. EDDC have reviewed the expectations set out in the responses and in the first instance have proposed to undertake the requested landscape and heritage assessment work and investigate further with their colleagues in terms of the impact on habitats.
EDDC have informed us that their Conservation and Landscape Officers continue to work on the landscape and heritage impact assessments following the Planning Officers site visit. Issues raised by Natural England regarding the River Axe SAC and phosphate levels affect the whole catchment area in both east Devon and south Somerset. This work will take a little longer than thought.
EDDC call for sites for the Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA)
Responding to the call for sites for the HELAA the Parish Council have agreed to submit the two proposed development sites in the NP – land off of George Lane Policy HD3 and land off Whitford Road Policy HD4.
2021 February
Regulation 14 Pre-submission Consultation period ended on 28th February 2021
Thank you to all those who sent us comments. The feedback we received by the end of the consultation period 28th February 2021 will now be considered by the Parish Council. A planning judgement will be taken and a decision will be made over whether or not to amend the Plan in response to each representation before the Plan is submitted to East Devon District Council for further consultation and on to independent examination.
Individuals’ comments will be anonymised in the report of comments received which will be made public in the coming weeks. Organisations, agencies, private businesses and consultants etc. will normally be named. Any contact information you may have provided will be held on a database and used to assist in the preparation of planning documents. The information will be used in accordance with the Data Protection Act (2018) and the data privacy policies of Kilmington Parish Council.
For any further information regarding the Plan please contact Adrian Jenkins, Kilmington Parish Clerk, Tower View Fruit Farm, Offwell EX14 9RW Tel: 01404 43220 or email: [email protected].
2021 January
The Neighbourhood Plan Team are available to answer questions and discuss the draft NP with Parishioners during this consultation period. If you have any questions please contact a member of the team.
2020 December
Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan Published
For your information Kilmington Parish Council has published the draft Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan as part of the formal Regulation 14 pre-submission consultation process. It can be accessed and downloaded, together with all the supporting documents, on the Kilmington Village Website: www.kilmingtonvillage.com
A feedback form can also be downloaded from the website and hard copies are available in the phone box library on Jubilee Green and at The Beacon and St Giles churches Kilmington. Using this form will help us to efficiently review your comments.
We welcome all your comments on these proposals and policies.
All feedback received by the end of the consultation period 28th February 2021 will be considered by the Parish Council. A planning judgement will be taken and a decision will be made over whether or not to amend the Plan in response to each representation before the Plan is submitted to East Devon District Council for further consultation and on to independent examination.
Please email feedback forms to: [email protected] or by post to The Clerk to the Parish Council, Tower View Fruit Farm, Offwell, EX14 9RW.
Individuals’ comments will be anonymised in the ‘Report of Comments Received’, which will be made public following consultation. It will be helpful for us to understand where in the Parish you live in relation to some Plan proposals. You may also wish to provide your details to be contacted in the future about progress with the Plan. Organisations, agencies, private businesses and consultants etc. will normally be named. If you are representing one of these and you would prefer that your response should be anonymised, please advise us on the form. Any contact information you may provide will be held on a database and used to assist in the preparation of planning documents. The information will be used in accordance with the Data Protection Act (2018) and the data privacy policies of Kilmington Parish Council.
Hard copies of the full draft Plan are available to read in The Beacon, St Giles Church and in the phone box library for loan. If you want a hard copy and can’t source one please contact Adrian Jenkins, Kilmington Parish Clerk, Tower View Fruit Farm, Offwell EX14 9RW Tel: 01404 43220 or email: [email protected]
2020 November
To fully satisfy the legal requirements for the Regulation 14 pre-submission consultation during the current period of Government Coronavirus restrictions, the Team will now:
• extend the statutory minimum consultation period of six weeks to ten weeks to give additional time for comment during the restrictions
• publish the draft Neighbourhood Plan on the village website
• produce a leaflet which provides a summary of the Plan and its main policies and deliver it to every household and business in the Parish
• print copies of the full Plan and make them available in St Giles church, The Beacon and the telephone box library for loan. In addition copies will be delivered to those who request them, if they do not use the internet
• inform by mail any developers, agents and others we are aware of, who are not resident in Kilmington but have an interest in the village, that the Plan has been published
• post notices announcing the publication of the Plan on all village notice boards
• post a notice on the ‘Kilmington Now’ Facebook site
• issue a press release to local media announcing the publication of the Plan
• make a further reminder of the consultation process in the February edition of the village magazine – Postscript, which is delivered to every household in the Parish
• review the opportunity to hold public discussion meetings in the village hall, if Coronavirus restrictions are eased
• provide a copy of the Plan for EDDC to display at their offices
2020 October
The draft plan was discussed and approved by the Parish Council with a request that the NP team to take it to the next stage (the Regulation 14 pre-submission consultation) as soon as possible. Detailed discussions start with EDDC on the best way forward to satisfy legal requirements in view of the Coronavirus restrictions.
2020 September
A copy of our draft document was sent to EDDC Planning and we have now had some excellent feedback and guidance to help us further improve it before publication. Copies of the amended draft plan have been sent to all Kilmington Parish Councillors. The plan will be discussed by council members during a Zoom video meeting.
2020 May
EDDC have informed us that NP work nationally has been delayed and the date of first possible referendum is 6 May 2021 at present. Public meetings are not possible at present and guidance on appropriate consultation to meet legal requirements will be published soon.
2020 April
We are following Government guidance during the Coronavirus pandemic so team meetings have been cancelled. The team continues to pull together the Plan and seek guidance from EDDC.
2020 March
Our consultant has shaped the information we supplied into a first draft plan. It is clear there is some further material needed to support this first version.
2020 February
The Neighbourhood Plan Team continues to work on the plan. Progress is good and all of our draft sections, notes and other information have now been sent to our consultant. He has the unenviable task of shaping it all into a clear and precise document that we can take forward to the next stage of approval.
We should be ready to publish the draft neighbourhood plan by the beginning of April. We’ll make it available on the village website and we’ll also have some hard copies for those who can’t see it on-line. If you have any interest in the future development of your village you should read it to understand what is being proposed.
Our objective has been to create a plan which reflects the wishes of Kilmington residents, hence the various questionnaires and discussions that have taken place. Information is on the village website. If you have any questions, concerns, or further ideas to suggest we want to hear from you. And if you agree with what is being suggested we want to hear that too!
Later in April we’ll present an outline of the plan at The Annual Village Meeting on Thursday April 23rd. Please put the date in your diary and come along to discuss and give us your views. We look forward to seeing you then, or before if you have any questions.
2019 December
The Neighbourhood Planning Team is continuing to gather evidence to support the draft policies we have already written. These draft policies, which are the core of a Neighbourhood Plan, follow on from the excellent work done in the Parish Plan and Village Design Statement. We have agreed the basic layout for the Neighbourhood Plan and are now drafting the full document with the help of our consultant Stuart Todd.
The draft policies have been sent to the EDDC Planning Officer for her comments on how they align with the East Devon Villages Plan https://eastdevon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/other-plans/villages-plan/ .
Next Steps:
- When our draft NP is complete (February 2020), we shall publish it within the village and hold another public meeting to ask for feedback.
- We shall take any feedback into account before publishing and submitting a revised document – the "Proposed Neighbourhood Plan”.
- This Proposed NP is then submitted to the EDDC who will judge if the proposal complies with all relevant legislation, publicise the proposal for a minimum of 6 weeks, submit it to various interested and statutory groups and invite comments. They will also appoint an independent examiner who will check that its contents are legal.
- If our Proposed NP is acceptable, then EDDC takes the decision on whether to send the plan to a village referendum. We estimate that any referendum would probably take place in September 2020.
Please watch out for the draft pre-submission publication on the Village Website, hard copies will also be available on request; Also for details of the public meeting in February/March which will be announced in Postscript and on village notice boards. In the meantime, our draft Vision and Objectives are already on this website: https://www.kilmingtonvillage.com/our-vision--objectives.html and we welcome your feedback.
2019 November
The Kilmington Housing Needs Assessment, taken in September, has now been completed by the independent group ‘Devon Communities Together’. A copy of their report can be read here. The findings will be discussed further by the Parish Council and will be incorporated into ‘evidence’ for the Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan.
2019 October
Housing Needs Survey
Thanks to all of you who took the time to complete the recent Housing Needs Survey questionnaire. Of the 405 we delivered around the whole village, we had 160 returned, a 40% response rate. A little disappointing perhaps, by usual Kilmington standards, but nevertheless a reasonable sample and we can use the information as evidence within the Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan. The results of the Housing Needs Survey are being collated independently by ‘Devon Communities Together’ and will be presented, together with any recommendations to the Kilmington Parish Council for their consideration. We will publish the details in Postscript and on the Kilmington Village Website as soon as they are available.
2019 September
Housing Needs Survey
In our NP we must demonstrate clearly that we are seeking to address necessary housing growth within the parish. This will help us to better manage requests for planning permission from individuals or speculative developers who wish to build in Kilmington. Our objective is to ensure that any future housing meets the needs of the existing community and future arrivals. This might include, for example, a range of types of affordable housing and housing more suitable for older people. To help us better understand the quantity and type of new housing requirements of the village in the future, we need to carry out a formal “Housing Needs Assessment”. This means that, in September, we will be asking you to complete another questionnaire about you and your family’s housing needs.
Some of you may recall that Kilmington residents completed a Housing Needs Assessment questionnaire back in 2013. This information it is now some six years old and is out of date. We have obtained a grant to undertake the survey from EDDC who have commissioned Devon Communities Together (DCT), an independent charity and part of the Devon Rural Housing Partnership, to undertake the survey. They will produce an independent report for us. It is important to stress that none of the personal information you provide in the questionnaire will be disclosed to the Kilmington NP team or the Parish Council. You will be asked to send completed questionnaires direct to DCT and their staff alone will process them. Any data published in their report will not be attributable to an individual.
Affordable Housing
For those who think they might to eligible for affordable housing, there will be an Affordable Housing section within the questionnaire that will allow individuals to provide information to DCT to check and inform them of their eligibility.
We hope you will once again give us your full support in completing the questionnaire even if you do not have a housing need. All the information is important evidence to support our Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan.
2019 July
We are progressing well putting the Neighbourhood Plan (NP) together but perhaps more slowly than we had hoped. The NP is a statement of the values and plans the parish has for its future development. When completed, it has legal standing with the planning authorities.
We are being assisted in our work by an experienced consultant to ensure that our plans contain the right information and are presented in the most appropriate way.
Our consultation, with village residents at meetings and through the questionnaire, has provided excellent feedback on the key issues you feel Kilmington will face in the future. Using this information, we created a set of draft policies that will form the plan.
Right now we are gathering evidence to explain the intention and rationale for our policies. A lot of research and consultation is required to provide the necessary detailed background information. Each of our policies has to be supported by a clear, consistent, defensible and robust evidence base. Neighbourhood Plans must meet a number of legal tests, so getting your evidence base in shape is very important. When a draft plan has been developed, it has to be approved by an external examiner and the EDDC before we are allowed to proceed to a final referendum when the parish gets to say whether it wishes to adopt the plan.
We had a desk at The Village Fayre & Flower Show on 27th July, and spoke to a number of interested residents discussing various planning and traffic issues.
2019 May
In discussions with the EDDC Neighbourhood Planning Officer, he offered us the opportunity to do a Housing Needs Survey. This will provide up-to-date information on the housing needs of Kilmington residents and those with close connections to the village who wish to move here. This will be valuable evidence for our plan. Kilmington Parish Council supported this initiative and agreed we should create a tailor made questionnaire for distribution after the summer holiday period. In the meantime we continue with other evidence gathering.
2018 November
From our Objectives, we have created ‘Policy Intents’ which clearly state what each policy should address. From these Policy Intents we have drafted Policies which we will refine as the plan develops. We continue to investigate just what is possible within the limits of a neighbourhood plan and in groups have started the extensive task of gathering evidence to support our policies.
2018 October
Taking Questionnaire responses and feedback from other public meetings we have established:
- A draft Vision, describing what we want our neighbourhood area to be like at the end of the plan period
- Draft Objectives for the project, identifying issues that hopefully can be addressed through the neighbourhood plan.
2018 July
Stand at the Kilmington Village Fayre meeting residents to discuss the plan and get feedback and ideas.
2018 June
Publication of the questionnaire results:
- On village website
- In ‘Postscript’ village magazine (page 14) which is hand delivered to every household in the parish
- At two Public Meetings held in the village hall to present results of the questionnaire and have a general Q&A session on Neighbourhood Planning. 87 residents attended the two sessions.
2018 May
Three specialist NP consultants were interviewed and Stuart Todd Associates was considered the most appropriate to advise and assist the team with the project. They were established in 2012 and have provided support to over 30 neighbourhood plan groups across the south west, many in East Devon. Stuart Todd Associates have now been appointed.
2018 January Questionnaires returned (215 Over 60% response) and collation of responses and analysis starts.
2017 November Questionnaires hand delivered to each household in the Kilmington Parish, mostly with verbal introduction on delivery. Personal follow up at each household by member of the KNP Team to collect completed questionnaires.
2017 February Specific topics for investigation discussed and allocated to team individuals to explore and report back to the group.
2016 November KNPT meeting.
2016 October First meeting of the Kilmington Neighbourhood Plan Team (KNPT) ……..
2016 September Kilmington Parish Council agrees to recruit and form a team to examine creating a Neighbourhood Plan.
2016 January The requested designation that Kilmington parish be designated as a neighbourhood area was approved on the 15 January 2016.
2015 November KPC application made for a Designated Neighbourhood Area.
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