Strategic overview of our planning policies

In July 2015, WAF conducted a survey of each property in the Parish, providing a questionnaire which sought views on how residents would like to see their village develop over the coming years. The survey results conclusively identified the following key issues as being the top five in terms of importance to parishioners:

1. 92% of respondents want to preserve the Green Belt in its current form.

2. 72% of respondents are concerned about flooding in Little Wymondley.

3. 70% of respondents are concerned about traffic management.

4. 66% of respondents want to see improvements to IT communications.

5. 58% of respondents want appropriate housing for the community.

5.2 Annex 2 provides a copy of the survey form and an analysis of its results as at 21 September 2015 is shown below

 

 

In developing our policies we have looked strategically at ways in which we might address these issues, to meet the needs not only of our current community, but also future generations.  We have a thriving rural community, and our policies are intended to achieve sustainable quality of life improvements, (for residents and visitors alike), and encourage social cohesion.  As well as the key issues listed above, a variety of other matters were raised as factors relevant to improving parish life, and these also contributed to the formulation of our policies.

 

Our policies are intended to be in line with core national planning policies, and relevant to our neighbourhood.  They take into account not only the expressed wishes of our community, but the character and heritage of our parish, and the need to protect the intrinsic beauty of its surrounding countryside and Green Belt from piecemeal erosion by inappropriate development.  We have taken a holistic approach, on the basis that overall improvements to our community’s health and well-being cannot be achieved or sustained in isolation from its environment. To destroy what draws people to a community is ultimately to destroy the community itself.

 

Sections 6 to 16 of this Plan set out the reasoning behind each of our policies.  In turn, our policies are designed to achieve our aims and make our vision a reality.