Alvechurch Parish Council

In April 2012 local communities were given legal powers under the Localism Act 2011 to develop Neighbourhood Plans. Neighbourhood Planning is the government’s initiative of trying to empower local communities to help make and take forward planning proposals at a local level. The idea being that local people will drive and then help to shape how their local communities grow and develop over the next coming years.

Alvechurch Parish Council wanted the people of our Parish to have a say in all aspects of the future of the parish area, but most importantly it wanted local people to decide where new housing, allocated by the Bromsgrove District Council’s Local Plan, should go.

The Alvechurch Parish Neighbourhood Plan sets out a vision for the area till 2030 that reflects the thoughts and feelings of local people with a real interest in their community. The Plan sets objectives on key themes such as, housing, employment, green space, the environment and conservation, moving around, community facilities and recreation. It builds on current and planned activity and what the Parish Council and its partners will work towards over the coming years.

What is in the Plan?

The Plan is a plan for the Parish as a whole. It provides a vision for the future and sets out clear planning policies to realise this vision. These policies accord with higher level planning policy of Bromsgrove District Council, as required by the Localism Act. It looks at a wide range of issues, including:

• How new retail should support the village centre
• What facilities are needed and where they should go
• How walking and cycling around the parish should be improved
• How the Village centre should be developed
• What open space new housing should contribute to the parish
• Encouraging Alvechurch Parish to retain its ‘greener’ profile

Referendum

The Neighbourhood Plan was put forward for examination to test whether it was in accordance with the strategic policies in Bromsgrove’s District Council’s Core Strategy. It was determined by the External Examiner that Alvechurch’s Parish Neighbourhood Plan had ‘undergone an exemplary public consultation process and set out a clear and deliverable vision for the neighbourhood area’. Following recommendation from the External Examiner, the Plan moved forward to referendum.

The referendum which took place on 10th January 2019, was successful, achieving a turnout of 36.6%. Over 96% of those who voted were in favour of the Plan. The Alvechurch Parish Neighbourhood Plan was formally made part of Bromsgrove District Council’s development plan on 27th February 2019.

The Future

The Neighbourhood Plan will need to be reviewed as the District Council allocate new homes and employment land to Alvechurch Parish in their proposed draft Local Plan and Green Belt review to be completed by 2023. As soon as housing allocations have been made in that Local Authority review to Alvechurch Parish Council, the NP Steering Group will need to start work again to review the Neighbourhood Plan so that we remain compliant and up-to-date with the Local District Plan.

You can see the core policy documents of the Neighbourhood Plan(NP) below, and find more information by following the link below to the NP’s website.