Neighbourhood plan - Rushden & Wallington Parish Council

Please click on the image above to open up the Approved (‘Made’) copy of Wallington Neighbourhood Plan as successfully voted upon on 14th March 2024.

Result of the Wallington Neighbourhood Plan

The result of the Wallington Neighbourhood Plan Referendum that took place on Thursday 14th March 2024 was a majority (87.3%) in favour of adopting the plan.

The turnout for the vote was 68% (63 votes cast out of a possible 93) with 1 spoilt ballot paper.

This now means that the plan is ‘made’ and it will be used from now on by North Herts Council in any planning decisions relating to our area.

The plan will:
• Protect 13 green spaces in Wallington, equal to green belt.
• Protect 22 important views in and around the village.
• Protect 5 buildings and structures which aren’t “listed”, includingthe well pond and the village hall.
• Guide any future planning decisions which could happen anyway, prioritising Wallington’s housing needs and protecting the character of our lovely village.

For more information then click here to go to the Parish Council Neighbourhood Plan Web Page or click here to go to NHDC’s Neighbourhood Plan website for Wallington’s Neighbourhood Plan.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Referendum Open Day Slides

History

Following the current, final round of consultation, the Neighbourhood Plan has been independently examined and was put forward at the January 2024 NHDC Cabinet meeting where it was approved to go forward to a referendum. Please follow this link for the minutes of NHDC meeting where the Wallington Neighbourhood Plan was approved.

The date for the referendum has been set by NHDC for the 14th March 2024.

If the residents approve the Neighbourhood Plan then the plan becomes ‘made’ and the policies in our Plan will be used alongside the Local Plan to determine planning applications within our neighbourhood area.

You can also view the public documents by clicking here to go to the North Herts Council website:

Previously published documents as it travelled through the NHDC Approval Process can be found below:

Previous Neighbourhood Plan Activities – October 2022

Regulation 14 is part of the The Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 and requires that :

Pre-submission consultation and publicity

Before submitting a plan proposal to the local planning authority, a qualifying body must

a) Publicise, in a manner that is likely to bring it to the attention of people who live, work or carry on business in the neighbourhood area.

i) details of the proposals for a neighbourhood development plan;

ii) details of where and when the proposals for a neighbourhood development plan may be inspected;

iii) details of how to make representations; and

iv) the date by which those representations must be received, being not less than 6 weeks from the date on which the draft proposal is first publicised;

b) Consult any consultation body referred to in paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 whose interests the qualifying body considers may be affected by the proposals for a neighbourhood development plan; and

c) Send a copy of the proposals for a neighbourhood development plan to the local planning authority.

There will be a number of open events at Wallington Village Hall in the next 6 weeks of the consultation, in order for members of the public to come and see copies the draft plan and to ask any final questions of the Parish Council before full submission of the neighbourhood plan is made. Dates for these events will be publicised in due course.

Copies of the plan and supporting documentation can be found on the Parish Council website. Copies can be requested from the Clerks to the Parish Council by following the ‘contact me’ me page on the website adding ‘Neighbourhood Plan’ to the subject line or at the contact details which can be found on the ‘About us’ page.

The Parish council would like to thank all members of the working group who have generously given their time to help produce this draft document and supporting evidence.

The following 7 documents are available to view by clicking on the link :

The following letters have also been sent to all residents and relevant Statutory bodies via email, social media or by hand. Click on the link to see the Statutory bodies Regulation 14 letter or residents Regulation 14 letter.

Neighbourhood Plan communications – 11th March 2022

Thanks to fantastic input from Wallington residents, we’ve been busy since the last open weekend:

• Feedback from around 2/3 of Wallington households via two major surveys
• Twelve local volunteers taking part in the Neighbourhood Plan working group
• Expert reports on building design, housing needs, archaeology, and ecology
• Significant green spaces and views recorded for protection within the plan
• Research into Wallington’s non-listed historical assets for protection
• Website established
• Draft plan created

The next step is a formal consultation on the draft plan by North Herts Council. First, we’d like to show you what we’ve been working on and get your feedback.

Join us at Wallington Village Hall for free tea/coffee and biscuits in exchange for your opinion.

• Saturday 19th March, 10am – 4pm
• Sunday 20th March, 10am – Midday

Parish Councillors and members of the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group will be there to discuss the draft plan and answer your questions. We know that many residents also have questions for major landowner Wallington Farms, so Nick and Diana Collingridge will be there between 2pm and 3pm on Saturday 19th. We can also put you in contact with them directly – just ask.

You will also be able to view the latest working draft Neighbourhood Plan on our website and send us your comments or questions directly.

Click here to see Draft – Wallington Neighbourhood Plan – March 2022

Emails: grahamlamb@rushdenandwallingtonpc.co.uk.

kateheath@rushdenandwallingtonpc.co.uk

Phone: Graham 01763 288073, Kate 01763 288026

We look forward to seeing and hearing from you.

Neighbourhood Plan communication – 5th July 2021

Dear All,

Thanks to all the Working Group members who played a part in our Guided Walk, looking at views and green spaces. I think it’s fair to say that there wasn’t a fantastic turn-out. Exactly 2 non-members of the working group were present!

Despite low numbers, we had good quality conversations about the green spaces and views.

Views:

On an evening with a particularly clear view and dramatic sky, we concluded that the whole perimeter of Wallington’s village centre is special, unique and deserves protection via the Neighbourhood Plan, as much as we can. This is largely due to the spectacular views outwards from all the footpaths around from the South East, all the way around the Northern side to the South West of the village, especially from the highest points, across the rolling countryside at the Eastern end of the Chilterns, uninterrupted by pylons etc, apart from the Home Office Radio Station. Plus the peaceful footpath to the Wallington Common nature reserve in the South. All of these views received multiple, unprompted mentions in the Green Spaces survey.

From a historical standpoint there’s a view towards the Icknield Way to the North, and we know from the archaeology report that the landscape contains an unusually high number of “monument sites” and a remarkable number of Portable Antiquity Scheme finds.

From the outside of the village looking in, another justification for protecting the perimeter of the “built core” is that the village itself is sheltered and hidden from outside view, except for Manor Farmhouse, because it is surrounded by tall trees. The trees are not just a “green spaces” asset, but also a unique, historic feature of the village. I’m sure we’ve all heard the story that the two rings of trees around the village were planted by the local Vicar around 200 years ago because his wife found the location too windy. We’re likely to need evidence to support this piece of local history / folklore. I’m hoping that Dan will be able to provide clues, and he may even have some documentary evidence.

David MacDonald has renewed his offer to take photographs for the plan, and this may be the very best form of evidence we can provide to show why the views are worthy of protection. A picture paints 1000 words…etc!

Green Spaces:

Overall the survey agreed with the “significant green spaces” within the village that are already identified in the Conservation Area plan, with the possible addition of The Wick, (grazing meadow next to and behind Village Hall), which was mentioned by many residents in their responses. (Ruth – please can you send the list of locations and how often they were mentioned? I know John found this very useful on the walk – thank you!)

During the walk we noted that the presence of multiple green spaces, ponds, pockets of trees and park / pasture within the heart of the village is a key part of Wallington’s character. They provide wildlife corridors, plus a sense of peace and tranquility. The many footpaths in and around the village criss-cross the green spaces, (especially the Park and Plantation, plus the path between Mutcheaps Meadow / The Chase,) and add to their amenity value for residents and visitors.

The Well Pond was a historic water source for the village, and Diana pointed out the historic significance of the ponds in the grounds of Bury Farmhouse. Apparently they are believed to be a Medieval fish farm, created in a distinctive row of increasing sizes.

We will require a high level of evidence to support our assertion that all these areas are special and deserve protection. I’m hoping that Alison will be able to advise us on what more we can do to assemble this evidence.

Thanks everyone for all your work so far. Our next meeting will be convened when we have a draft plan from Alison for review.

BACKGROUND – 2019

Rushden and Wallington Parish Council has set up a working group to develop a Neighbourhood Plan for the village of Wallington and some of the surrounding area. The reason for having a Neighbourhood Plan in Wallington is that the North Herts District Council Local Plan suggests Wallington is one of the villages that would benefit most from having one.

New and existing planning regulations, combined with North Herts District Council’s new Local Plan, make it likely that some changes will happen in our area within the next few years. The purpose of the Neighbourhood Plan is to make sure the views of residents are gathered and recorded in an official document, so that they must be taken into account when any planning decisions are made.

Neighbourhood planning gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area over the next 20-30 years. It means that we can choose where we want new homes or business premises to be built, have our say on what those new buildings should look like and what infrastructure should be provided.

One thing we can be certain of is that things are bound to change over time. We want to make sure that any changes in Wallington bring positive benefits to the village.

The whole idea of a neighbourhood plan is that residents have a big say in the process. You will be hearing from us a lot as the neighbourhood plan takes shape. We really need to hear everyone’s ideas and views, so please get involved in the consultation process.

Information about the neighbourhood plan will be updated on this website and will include the latest draft documentation, reports and surveys as well as key dates.

Welcome to

Rushden & Wallington Parish Council

FURTHER INFORMATION

Referendum Open Day Slides