Bengeo Neighbourhood Plan Area
The Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan has been reviewed by an East Herts District Council appointed examiner and found to be suitable for referendum subject to some minor alterations.
John Slate, who has 42 years experience as a planning practitioner, was appointed by the District Council to review our Neighbourhood Plan and report back to the council with recommendations as to whether the plan can continue to a referendum. In addition the question as to whether the area covered by the referendum should be expanded was also considered.
The plan was recommended for referendum after some changes, including:
Natural Environment and Green Spaces
- All 8 green spaces cleared by the Examiner for Local Green Space designation
- All 8 views cleared by the Examiner for additional protection, with the added condition that a District Plan assessment needs to reveal a harmful impact as a result of the proposal. If a planning application impacts on one of the views, we need to push for an assessment
- The Community Garden policy has been deleted but the aim to landscape the plot is retained in the Action Plan. Planning permission would not be required to landscape the plot; hence a policy is not required
- Modest strengthening of the Nature Conservation policy but removal of the requirement for an applicant to supply a tree survey and report for removal of unprotected trees
- Modest strengthening of the Air Quality Policy.
Community, Heritage and Culture
- Deletion of the Assets of Community Value policy on the basis of ACV registration only providing short term protection and the proposed ACVs being afforded protection through the Enhanced Community Assets policy
- Significant reduction in text in the ‘Cultural Facilities’ policy. This is likely to impact on the supporting text preceding the policy. The Examiner said the draft policy wording implied a site allocation (i.e., the land occupied by the Old Hertford Brewery and the Old British School) and that the wording might not be applicable to other sites
Sustainable Travel
- The most significant revisions are the removal of the road safety measures (i.e., 20mph limits and access restrictions) from the policy to the supporting text on the basis that the enforcement of same is outside the control of an applicant
Homes and Development and Business Development
- The most significant revisions are the removal of the requirement for parking at Bengeo School (on the basis that the area could not yield required number of homes if school parking had to be provided), and the removal of the parking standards (on the basis that the criterion didn’t meet basic conditions)
- The Brownfield Development and Local Business Development policies have both been quite significantly pared back. I understand why but have some concerns that it will now be difficult to challenge some brownfield and commercial planning applications, particularly a potentially unsuitable commercial development on a brownfield site
The referendum area was not found to require increasing beyond the scope of the Bengeo Neighbourhood Plan. Due to Covid, the referendum would not be carried out any early than May 2021, and would be voted on by all residents who normally have the right to vote in local elections.
Additional information can be found at the lovebengeo website and East Herts website.