Alvechurch Parish Council unanimously adopts Neighbourhood Priorities Statement
For immediate release: 12 October 2026
Alvechurch Parish Council has unanimously adopted its Neighbourhood Priorities Statement (NPS), following consideration at the Council meeting on 12 October 2026.
The NPS sets out a shared, up-to-date vision for Alvechurch Parish and identifies the community’s priorities for future planning, development and investment through to 2044. It explains what residents value, what should be protected and enhanced, and what new development must deliver if growth is to be sustainable and locally supported.
A Neighbourhood Priorities Statement is a concise, evidence-based statement of local priorities. It does not replace the statutory Alvechurch Parish Neighbourhood Plan, but complements it by providing a current expression of community views at a time of significant planning change and development pressure. The NPS will help ensure that decisions about housing, infrastructure, transport, design, heritage, green spaces, biodiversity and community facilities are informed by local evidence and the distinctive character of the parish.
The NPS has been directly informed by local residents and is the principal output of the Parish Council’s extensive summer 2025 resident survey, which received 615 responses and gathered detailed views on development, infrastructure, transport, design, the environment and community facilities. Those responses have been used directly to shape the Statement’s priorities and conclusions, alongside earlier community evidence gathered through the Alvechurch Parish Neighbourhood Plan.
The Parish Council acknowledges the leadership of Cllr Kate Van der Plank, who led the working group responsible for developing the NPS. It also thanks every member of the working group, which brought together representatives from Alvechurch Parish Council, Alvechurch Residents’ Association and residents from across Alvechurch. Their time, local knowledge and commitment were central to producing a statement that reflects the parish’s priorities.
Now that the NPS has been adopted, the Parish Council hopes Bromsgrove District Council will give it significant weight as it prepares the new Local Plan and considers planning applications affecting Alvechurch Parish. The Council also expects landowners, developers and their professional teams to use the NPS from the earliest stages of site selection, design and engagement, and to be guided by its priorities throughout the development process.
The adopted Statement supports the right development in the right places, at a scale that respects the parish’s distinct settlements and landscape, with the necessary infrastructure delivered before or alongside growth. Its priorities include meeting local housing needs, protecting Green Belt openness and village identity, improving road safety and sustainable transport, supporting schools and healthcare, safeguarding heritage and biodiversity, and maintaining a thriving village centre and strong community.