Neighbourhood Planning in a Sensitive Landscape

Aldbourne is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire with a population of about 1,900. Place Studio has been assisting the Aldbourne Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group with the preparation of their Neighbourhood Plan.

The Neighbourhood Plan area has a sensitive landscape context, being wholly within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is also located near to a couple of internationally important Special Areas of Conservation, and it has a village Conservation Area. So, there were a number of constraints to consider when considering potential sites for allocation for development to bring forward housing to meet the needs of local people in Aldbourne.

We have worked with the group to shape a suite of planning policies to protect the sensitive landscape, heritage and environmental setting of the village. The draft Neighbourhood Plan also includes two site allocations to support the delivery of sensitively designed housing to meet the evidenced local housing need in Aldbourne.

The Neighbourhood Plan progressed through the formal stage of consultation (known as Regulation 14) in Autumn 2021 and was submitted to Wiltshire Council for Examination in Spring 2022. You can read more about the Aldbourne Neighbourhood Plan here.

"Our Neighbourhood Plan would never have progressed without the expert guidance from the Place Studio team. Their breadth of knowledge across everything required in creating a Neighbourhood Plan gave us confidence to continue with the project which was so much more complex than any of us realised. We needed their help in so many ways: understanding the planning terminologies, working to a set process, deadlines, and writing the many pages of content. The team were so patient and understanding as the Steering Group, all volunteers with little knowledge of planning, tried to make sense of what was required. They were excellent at communication and a pleasure to work with. We have no hesitation in recommending Place Studio to any community wishing to do a Neighbourhood Plan."

Aldbourne Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group