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The Yateley Society

Registered with the Civic Trust

Registered Charity No. 282397

Hart District Council

Harlington Way

FLEET

Hants

GU13 8AE

30 May 2005

Dear Sirs,

METHODOLOGY PROPOSAL FOR PREPARATION OF LAND-USE PART OF DRAFT PARISH PLAN

Parish Plans will consist of two aspects: community aspirations and land-use planning. These two aspects will remain separated at the District level, to be regulated by:

These two aspects (community and land-use planning) interact so they must be melded together at the level of Parish Plans. The Yateley Parish Plans Steering Group must consult the same electorate on both these matters, as a single plan. The Society proposes that community planning and land-use should be prepared by two different 'task forces' who have the necessary background and expertise. The Steering Group should then consider the community plans and land-use plans together, work out any conflicts or synergies, finally consulting the wider population with the whole draft Parish Plan.

The Yateley Society proposes that it take on the responsibility of preparing a draft plan covering those aspects of the Yateley Parish Plan related to land use planning, spatial planning, conservation and development. The Society proposes that it achieve this objective by updating and amending the existing adopted Hart Local Plan, as it applies to Yateley, together with other existing local planning documents.

1. EXISTING PLANNING DOCUMENTS TO BE USED IN PREPARING PARISH PLAN

1.1 Adopted Hart Local Plan

1.2 Conservation Area Statements

1.3 Yateley Village Design Framework

1.4 Inspectors‘ Decision Letters

2. REASONS FOR UPDATING THE EXISTING LOCAL PLAN & CA STATEMENTS

2.1 The Yateley Society, together with Yateley Town Council, broadly supported the Adopted Local Plan through each of its stages of public consultation. The Society was the only body, or person (other than developers) present at the Local Plan Inquiry making representations regarding Yateley. The Society made 24 representations of which 11 supported plan policies, and 10 were technical objections seeking to strengthen wording. The Society's main objections were against the commercial proposal at Clark's Farm, against noisy watersports and a pre-Inquiry change proposing noisy motor sports, both in the Blackwater Valley.

2.2 The Hart Local Plan and CA statements were prepared by respected professional planners, and subjected to rigorous public consultation.

2.3 The Adopted Local Plan was prepared with sustainability issues firmly in mind. Those issues remain central to land-use planning in Yateley.

2.4 The only major new issue, resulting from recent planning guidance, which is now affecting Yateley, is developer proposals to build high density housing and flats on brown field sites. There has already been a number of planning decisions by Inspectors from which a local policy can be structured.

2.5 Of the three Conservation Area Statements, two are very recent. The Society contributed extensively to the preparation of the Cricket Hill and Darby Green statements, supplied historical data and some assessments. The Society also made a major contribution to the Yateley Green Conservation Area Statement, suggesting the enlargement of the small original area in front of the Dog & Partridge to encompass the whole of Yateley Green and Yateley Hall. This CA statement is badly in need of revision pursuant to the 1990 Act. The Society has already proposed a new extension to include early 20th century housing on the main road to Eversley.

2.6 The Adopted Local Plan established broad character areas for the District. This technique has also been used in establishing policies for Conservation Areas and in writing Conservation Plans for historic gardens. The Society believes this concept can be beneficially extended and refined for use in Parish Plans. By considering discrete character areas within a parish, the Society believes it will be possible more firmly to attach existing Local Plan policies to 'character areas' in the same way that policies were attached to specific areas on the Local Plan maps.

3. THE STANDING OF YATELEY SOCIETY

3.1 The Society is a registered charity, and is the only charity in Yateley concerned with planning issues. Having adopted the model constitution of the Civic Trust, the Society's three original charitable object clauses were:

In the 1990s, English Nature proposed to raise the status of Yateley Common SSSI to become part of the Thames Valley Special Protection Area for Wild Birds, pursuant to the European Directive. The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c) Regulation 1994 became law. The Society had set up a Conservation Volunteers group to assist Yateley Rangers in commons management, and provided an observer to the Yateley Commons Management Committee. GOSE added policies to the Local Plan related to the SPA. Consequently at a Special General meeting in 1996 the Society added a fourth object clause to its constitution:

3.2 The Society has made representations to each of the Local Plan Inquiries, preferring to influence planning policies at the formulation stage, but objecting firmly to development proposals which contravene adopted policies and/or planning law.

3.3 The Society‘s standing orders call for the Executive Committee through the Planning Subcommittee to consider applications:

1. for 5 residential dwellings or more

2. in or affecting Conservation Areas

3. relating to Listed Buildings

4. within areas designated by the Town Centre Plan

5. on or affecting registered commonland

6. within strategic gaps between settlements

7. outside the settlement boundary where likely to compromise that boundary

8. considered to be detrimental to Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Areas, National Nature Reserves, and other areas designed for the protection of wildlife, natural habitats and any other areas of nature conservation.

9. for commercial or publicly owned premises and for changes of use of private and commercial properties

10. considered by the committee to be 'bad planning'.

3.4 The Society has been, up till now, represented at every major planning inquiry concerning Yateley, supporting the Local Planning Authority.

4. METHOD STATEMENT

4.1 Obtain digital copy of Adopted Local Plan, and CA statements;

4.2 Extract existing policies relevant to the Civil Parish of Yateley;

4.3 Review policies with regard to recent legislation and guidance;

4.4 Review policies with regard to the proposals of the Village Design Framework;

4.5 Review policies with regard to Society policy and previously proposed amendments;

4.6 Prepare new draft list of policies deemed to apply to Yateley

4.7 Obtain working maps of the civil parish of Yateley;

4.8 Establish 'Character Areas' covering Yateley‘s built and non-built environment;

4.9 Prepare brief character descriptions of each character area;

4.10 Assign applicable options to 'character areas' as potential for intervention;

4.11 Prepared spatial planning section of Draft Parish Plan

It is envisaged that items 1 to 6 can proceed at the same time as items 7 to 9. We shall seek the advice of professional planners in the District Council at the two stages of preparing character descriptions (4.9) and assigning options to those areas (4.10).

The Society believes this method is the only way to achieve a Parish Plan which will stand up to the rigours of Public Inquires. We also believe that this method will be understandable to local people and, because the Townscape Analysis will be focussed right down to the areas in which they are living, will elicit a very wide response to the draft Parish Plan.

Yours sincerely,

Peter J. Tipton

Chairman, Planning Subcommittee

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