❌ Myth: “It’s too late to have my say”

✓REALITY

There will be opportunities to comment on the draft NDP, attend consultation events and, ultimately, vote in the local referendum.

Every comment received will be considered before the Plan is finalised.

❌ Myth: “If Hullavington didn’t have an NDP, we wouldn’t get any more housing”

✓REALITY

Not having a NDP does not mean no development.                                             

Planning applications can still come forward and will be decided under national and Wiltshire planning policies. A Neighbourhood Development Plan gives Hullavington a stronger voice in shaping development — it does not create development where none would otherwise happen.

❌ Myth: “Having an NDP makes Hullavington a bigger target for developers”

✓REALITY

An NDP does not attract development.                                                               

Developers can pursue sites whether Hullavington has a plan or not. What the Plan does is give the village a stronger voice over where development should go, what it should look like and the standards it should meet.

❌ Myth: “The Neighbourhood Plan team can decide whether planning applications are approved”

✓REALITY

Selecting a site is not granting planning permission.                                     

Following a rigorous site selection process, the Neighbourhood Plan can identify and put forward the sites considered most appropriate for development. This helps steer development towards the best locations for the village, but any planning application must still go through Wiltshire Council as the local planning authority, which decides whether planning permission is granted.

❌ Myth: “The NDP guarantees that developers will deliver everything the community wants”

✓REALITY

The NDP gives the community a stronger position, but it cannot guarantee every outcome.                                                                                                               

It can set planning policies and help shape negotiations around development, while appropriate infrastructure and community benefits may be secured through planning conditions and legally binding Section 106 agreements.

No planning system can guarantee that every community aspiration will be delivered exactly as originally envisaged. That is why the Steering Group is committed to being clear about what the NDP can — and cannot — achieve.

❌ Myth: “The NDP has already decided where development will happen”

✓REALITY

Nothing has been finally decided.                                                                           

The Neighbourhood Plan has assessed the potential sites on a consistent basis, and the draft Plan sets out the Steering Group’s current recommendations based on that assessment.

These recommendations are not final. Residents, landowners, statutory consultees and other interested parties will have the opportunity to comment during consultation. The Steering Group will consider the feedback and evidence before making its recommendations to the Parish Council, which will decide which site or sites should be included in the Submission Draft Plan.

The Plan is looking for the best overall fit: sites that can help meet housing needs, deliver meaningful community benefits and cause the least harm.

If development is going to happen, the aim is to make sure it happens in the most appropriate places and delivers the best possible outcome for Hullavington.

Even after the Plan is submitted to Wiltshire Council, it must go through independent examination and may be changed further before being put to a village referendum. The final Plan can only be made if it is supported by a majority of those voting.

❌ Myth: “The NDP is only about housing”

✓REALITY

Housing is only one part of the Plan. The NDP also looks at issues including:

• protecting green spaces
• biodiversity
• walking, cycling and riding routes
• village character
• design quality
• community facilities
• supporting local businesses

The aim is to help shape Hullavington’s future as a whole — not simply decide where homes should go.

Why is a Neighbourhood Plan so important?

This Neighbourhood Plan is our opportunity to make development deliver for the community.

Over the last 100 years, Hullavington has seen around 200 new homes built, yet that growth has brought no new community infrastructure with it. That is a major reason why the village’s existing facilities and services are now under such pressure.

A Neighbourhood Plan gives the community a much stronger voice in shaping future development — where it goes, what it looks like and, crucially, what it should contribute to the village.

Without a Plan, development can still happen, but we risk repeating the same pattern: more housing with nothing meaningful coming back to the community. With a Plan, we have a far better opportunity to make future development bring real and lasting benefits for Hullavington.