Community Consultation Meetings 7th and 28th March

Thank you to everyone who came along and had their say on the future of Hullavington.

It’s not too late, so please take a few minutes to complete the survey and make sure your voice is heard. (open to all household members over the age of 18)

Below is a narrated slide show from the last meeting to give you all the information you need.

Neighbourhood planning

Neighbourhood planning gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area.  It helps a community choose where they want new homes and allows them to have their say on the infrastructure, whilst also identifying opportunities to have facilities that meet community’s needs, ensuring the ambition of the neighbourhood is aligned with the strategic needs and priorities of the wider local area.

We already have a Hullavington Neighbourhood Plan 2016 to 2026 but now we need to review and refresh the Plan. To view the existing plan please visit Neighbourhood Development Plan – Hullavington Parish Council.  Based on volunteers, we are in the process of finalising a Steering Group, which is a Sub-Committee of the Hullavington Parish Council, and who will oversee the preparation of the new Plan.

The purpose of these webpages is to keep the community informed of activities and importantly to allow wider communication as part of the consultation period.  At this stage, the webpages are being developed, but over the next couple of months, more information will be shared.

Why do we need a Neighbourhood Plan?

A complex and multi layered issue but in summary:

Given the current planning context in Wiltshire, and the approaching expiry of the existing Neighbourhood Plan, it is important that the parish takes a proactive approach. Allocating deliverable sites within a renewed plan is key to retaining local influence and shaping how the village grows in the future and gives us the best and only protection against any speculative development which comes forward. It also gives us the best opportunity to secure significant amenities and community leisure facilities, facilities that we lack and that most agree we so desperately need.

For the reasons why please see below

PLANNING SITUATION IN WILTSHIRE

1. Call for Sites land is submitted to Wiltshire planners who “test” it via a suitability matrix – each parcel of land listed is assessed for suitability against planning, sustainability, access, location and deliverability.

2. What is a SHELAA site?

Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment.

Land submitted via a Call for Sites gets assessed. If passes this scrutiny it is considered developable and is listed as land that could be suitable in principle. Note that anyone can submit a site for SHELAA assessment, not just landowners.

It doesn’t mean:

· That land is allocated for development

· Planning application has been submitted

· Planning permission has been granted

3. Why is a Local Plan important? A Local Plan sets out where development should and should not take place. It provides the council with a strong basis for making planning decisions and defending them at appeal.

4. What is a five-year housing land supply? This means the council can demonstrate it has sufficient deliverable land to meet housing needs over the next five years.

5. Why do these two things matter? Without a Local Plan and a five-year housing land supply, it becomes much harder for the council to refuse planning applications, and decisions are more likely to be overturned on appeal.

6. What is the current situation in Wiltshire?

· Wiltshire does not currently have an adopted Local Plan (the most recent version has been rejected).

· Wiltshire’s plan to recover the Local Plan to meet increased targets by 2028 was also rejected. It will be even longer before there is a Local Plan

· Wiltshire can only demonstrate a 2.8-year housing land supply, significantly below the required five years.

7. What does this mean in practice? Planning policies are considered “out of date,” making it more difficult to resist speculative development proposals.

8. Why are more applications likely to be approved? National planning policy favours development where councils cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply and where Local Plan policies are out of date.

This is known as the “tilted balance”, meaning applications are more likely to be approved unless there are clear and compelling reasons to refuse.

2. NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN – HULLAVINGTON

Hullavington is classified as a Large Village and is not within a protected area. It is located approximately seven miles from the nearest train station and three miles from the nearest motorway junction.

Given this context, it would be unrealistic to expect that no development will come forward. In fact, we have been advised by Wiltshire Council that more development is likely.

This is why we are renewing and updating our Neighbourhood Development Plan. Doing so provides the best available means of managing development and offers the strongest protection against further speculative proposals, allowing the community to retain some influence over how the village grows.

What we are doing now

1. We are updating the Neighbourhood Development Plan ahead of its expiry on 31 December 2026.

2. Work began last year. While the process typically takes 18 -24 months, we are aiming to complete it within 15 months.

3. We have actively engaged with the community through meetings, surveys and consultation events to ensure the plan reflects local views and that residents understand why this work is important.

4. We are allocating sites for development. This is essential to ensure the plan is robust and effective, giving the village influence and control over where development happens and how it is designed.

5. We are doing this because development proposals are coming forward regardless. While the Neighbourhood Plan cannot approve or refuse planning applications, it allows us to shape outcomes, so the community does not lose out.

6. Work with Wiltshire Council Ensure alignment with emerging planning policies and housing requirements.

7. Seek professional support. We have done this.

What this means for you (the community)

1. You have a real opportunity to influence how Hullavington grows, rather than having development imposed without local input.

2. You can help shape where new housing goes and what it looks like, including design, layout, and community benefits.

3. The plan helps ensure that, when development happens, the village gains from it—for example through community land, facilities, or better design.

4. Without this plan, there would be far less local say, and decisions would rely more heavily on national policies and developer proposals.

5. Your views matter—ongoing engagement ensures the plan reflects local priorities, concerns, and aspirations. Please complete the survey so that your voice is included.