FAQs

What’s in it for me?

Have a say in how your neighbourhood develops. Earn the satisfaction of having contributed to a legal document overseeing the future of the Burghfield area!

Is it worth the effort?

Of course it is! Describing what we want our village community to look like is important.

If it’s important, why isn’t the Parish Council doing this?

Community engagement and consultation is actually required for a Neighbourhood Development plan to be favourably assessed. A majority of the community must also vote in favour of the document in a formal referendum.

Will an NDP protect my back yard?

An NDP will not reduce the number of dwellings to be built in a neighbourhood. It can however ensure that future development meets criteria approved by the community as a whole.

So, what can an NDP actually do?

An NDP can describe what development should look like, what guidelines it should follow, and can influence where the development is sited.  Above and beyond housing, an NDP can cover

  • provisions for businesses to set up or expand their premises,
  • transport and access (including issues around roads, cycling, walking and access for disabled people),
  • the development of schools, places of worship, health facilities, leisure and entertainment facilities, etc,
  • the design of buildings.
  • the protection and creation of open space, nature reserves, allotments, sports pitches, play areas, 
  • the promotion of renewable energy projects, such as solar energy and wind turbines.

Daddy, are we nearly there yet?

‘Fraid not son, a few years to go yet…