Welcome to our WNDP website

IMPORTANT - as from May lst - this site will only refer to documents established earlier and new information is available at the new Watlington Parish Council web site on www.watlington.org 

The SODC emerging Local Plan was approved by their Full Council by 22 votes to 9 on Thursday 20th December and the full LP2034 can be read here It was subject to a Public Consultation running from January 7th for six weeks - (below is from their website) - LP2034 gas now been submitted for Examination by two Inspectors appointed and will begin in late summer

"At this stage, SODC have to ask very specific questions which are set out for us and all local authorities. They will send all of the representations which people send in only during this consultation period, along with the Plan and supporting work to the Planning Inspectorate, so that an examination into the Plan can take place. An independent planning inspector will be appointed to oversee this examination and will consider the Plan and the comments made. Partly based on the answers given, the inspector will make a decision on whether the Local Plan is “sound”, “legally compliant” and if it complies with the “duty to cooperate”. These terms are explained further in our guidance note (434.2 KB)  and YouTube video .  The planning inspector will give more weight to comments that relate to these points, but you are free to comment on any aspect of the plan and evidence you like.

A key objective of the WNDP has been the construction of an "Edge Road" which is in effect an alternative routing of the B4009, designed to take a lot of through traffic (including HGV's)around the town. This will ease traffic congestion, improve air quality and alongside other measures make Watlington a safer place. This will work alongside other town centre changes under consideration by the Parish Council and the NPAB.

The Edge Road still features strongly in the latest emerging Local Plan Draft document as does the inclusion of Chalgrove Airfield as one of seven strategic sites   

We are working closely with Oxfordshire County Council and they in turn with the Oxfordshire Growth Board and a funding strategy has been agreed at the OGB meeting on the 27th November - more details can be read here 

The Watlington Neighbourhood Development Plan was officially "made" at the SODC Full Council meeting on Thursday August 23rd and is now adopted and part  of the SODC Local Development Scheme 

Our Referendum took place on Thursday June 28th

The result was a resounding YES vote of 81% from a turnout of 47.4% which is high for this type of voting

The exact figures can be seen here as from the SODC website 

Read John Howell MP Media statement issued June 30th  and the new bill he presented in the Commons on December 4th regarding new Neighbourhood Planning changes to add strength to their value as part of Localism

Read how Planning Resource viewed our campaign 

The WNDP area is shown below and the suggested Edge Road route and the three allocated sites are shown on the map further below 

The Pyrton NDP Examiners Report can be read here 

OCC made this response regarding the MOD site  (PYR1)

The SODC Decision Statement was produced after the Examination and confirming the Referendum date. The first part of the Decision Statement issued by SODC on May 11th 2018 stated:

"Summary -  Following an independent Examination, South Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning confirmed on 8 May 2018 that the Watlington Neighbourhood Plan will proceed to referendum. 

This Decision Statement and the Examiner’s Report can be viewed on the Council’s website.

Background  Watlington, as the qualifying body, successfully applied for Watlington parish to be designated as a Neighbourhood Area, under the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations.

Following the submission of the Watlington Neighbourhood Plan Submission Version (‘the Plan’) to the district council, the Plan was publicised and comments were invited from the public and stakeholders. The publicity period closed on 28 January 2018

South Oxfordshire District Council appointed an independent examiner, Andrew Ashcroft, to review whether the plan meets the basic conditions required by legislation and should proceed to referendum.

The examiner concluded that the plan meets the basic conditions, and that subject to the modifications proposed in his report, the plan should proceed to referendum.

Decision Reasons 

The council has committed to supporting neighbourhood planning in its Strategic Objective on facilitating sustainable communities, and more specifically through the commitment in the Corporate Plan 2016-2020 of ‘Strongly supporting the development of neighbourhood plans for our towns and villages’.

The Watlington Neighbourhood Development Plan (WNDP), as modified by the Examiner’s recommendations, has had regard to national policies and advice contained in guidance issued by the Secretary of State. A requirement to have regard to policies and advice does not require that such policy and advice must necessarily be followed, but it is intended to have

Having considered the examiner’s recommendations and reasons for them, South Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning decided on 8 May 2018:

1. To accept all modifications recommended by the Examiner;

2. to determine that the Watlington Neighbourhood Development Plan, as modified, meets the basic conditions, is compatible with the Convention rights, complies with the definition of a neighbourhood development plan (NDP) and the provisions that can be made by a NDP; and 3. to take all appropriate actions to progress the Watlington Neighbourhood Development Plan to referendum on Thursday 28 June 2018; and 4. to agree that the referendum area should extend beyond the neighbourhood area to include properties in Pyrton parish (as recommended by the Examiner)" 

Andrew Ashcroft carried out our WNDP Examination and has twice visited Watlington, and the complete WNDP area. His report can be seen here.

We were also required to respond to some technical questions raised in a Clarification note which have been dealt with by written representations

The WNDP suite of documents (Referendum)

WNDP1 - The Watlington Neighbourhood Development Plan (the final version after a few minor corrections - the "made" and "adopted version as used by SODC and published on their web site, will replace this. It is stressed the few alterations are purely in respect of layout and typography)
WNDP2 - Basic Conditions Statement
WNDP3 - Consultation Statement
WNDP4 - Sustainability Appraisal/Environmental Report 
WNDP5 - Sustainability Scoping Report for above
WNDP6 - Housing Survey Report
WNDP6a-Housing Survey Appendix
WNDP7 - Relevant Maps
WNDP8 - Photographs - Important Landscape Views
WNDP9 - Photographs - Watlington Conservation Area Views
WNDP9a- Map for Conservation Area Views
WNDP10- Watlington Green Spaces
WNDP11- Watlington Design Guide
WNDP12- Development Strategy Topic Paper

WNDP13 -Watlington Traffic Management Plan & Report

WNDP13a-Watlington Traffic Management Plan brief to consultants

(You can read a summary of WNDP13 here) (The display boards on view at our Drop In event on February 3rd can be seen here and a feedback summary here)

WNDP14- Flood Risk Assessment and Sequential Test

WNDP15- Habitats Regulations Assessment (Stage 1) Updated December 17

In the course of our consultation and community engagement work we produced two videos - you can see both through these links:

Our 2015/6 video message
Our 2017 video message

The new NPPF came into force on July 24th 2018 and can be seen here

Chalgrove 

You can see the notes of the meeting we had with the Homes England team on October 4th (2016) here and the further meeting notes from a follow up meeting on December 13th (2016) as provided by GVA is available here. A third meeting with the new Homes England team took place on July 3rd - notes are here and a further meeting also took place on October 10th 2017- here followed by a meeting with key stakeholders on the 28th November 2017 as above

Homes England, through their agents Carter Jonas, have issued a letter to SODC (dated January 16th) and a general statement (January 18th) in respect of their position regarding the Martin Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd and the future of Chalgrove airfield with press comment here

Homes England have now issued this statement via Carter Jonas and a meeting should be taking with our team shortly 

Watlington Parish council is now on Facebook          

Send emails to [email protected] or phone 01491 613867 

This is the home page for the Watlington Neighbourhood Development Plan.  It provides details and evidence of the programme and our progress that will soon lead to a plan that gives the people of Watlington some control over how their community develops up to the year 2033. The information provided has grown steadily as we progressed with the WNDP.