Work on the Neighbourhood Plan has reached the stage where we are issuing a “Call for Sites”  Letters have gone out to land owners with land close to Bishops Green and Ecchinswell as we are seeking potential sites for the small number of homes that our consultation and the Local Plan Update suggest we need in the parish.  Once a shortlist of suitable sites has been made using recommended screening criteria, this will be tested by community consultation. We will keep residents well informed on how you can take part in this consultation which we expect to take place in Spring/Summer 2022. 

 

The basis of selection for detailed evaluation will be for sites that:

• Are small in size consistent with the small number (~15) of extra homes for the parish seen to be required between now and 2039,
• Are suited for extra housing that is predominately affordable to rent or buy,
• May enable the delivery of employment and/or community space,
• Will preserve the character of the villages in the surrounding landscape,
• Will protect local biodiversity value that cannot be replaced and deliver a biodiversity ‘net’ gain,
• Will not significantly worsen existing traffic congestion and/or safety issues,
• Will deliver low energy use, low water use and zero carbon footprint housing.

Should you own land in the parish near the main settlements and feel it could meet the above criteria but have not been contacted via the Call to Sites process, please make contact with the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group by contacting the Parish Clerk (clerk@ecchinswell-pc.gov.uk).

 

This process has now moved into an assessment and selection phase following responses from a good number of landowners in the parish who have offered sites for consideration. We will communicate more on a short-list of potential sites when this assessment is complete.