Contact Information
Bowers Gifford & North Benfleet Neighbourhood Plan
Introduction - What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
A Neighbourhood Plan allows local communities direct power to develop a vision for their neighbourhood and to shape the development and growth of the local area. Communities are able to choose where they want new homes, shops and offices built. Communities are also able to have their say about what those buildings should look like, and even recommend that planning permission is granted for new buildings that they want to see go ahead.
Bowers Gifford and North Benfleet Neighbourhood Plan
Over the Past two and half years Bowers Gifford & North Benfleet Parish Council have been preparing a Neighbourhood Plan, for the whole of the Parish area. It has held numerous drop-in sessions, meetings and provided publicity via its newsletters to keep residents up to date. The purpose of the Plan is to make proposals for how we can create "One Village " of Bowers Gifford & North Benfleet that remains separated from Basildon by the Green Belt and decide where any development can be built where our community decide not Basildon Borough Council.
In 2017 Basildon Councils then Labour/UKIP administration was working on proposals in their Local Plan which the Parish Council felt did not fit the wishes of the community and the Parish Council, following consultations with the community, challenged and produced an alternative stretegy for development wihin the Parish to Basildon Council's evolving Local Plan which the then administration chose to ignore.
However, following the May elections in 2018 and the lobbying of the new Conservative administration it agreed to review the proposals in the Parish Council's Neighbourhood Plan and at the Full Council Meeting on 18th October 2018 gave the Parish Council the opportunity to allocate 1,350 new homes where, in consultation with the community, the Parish Council think is the best place to build. The Parish Council and the BGNB Steering Group have, on behalf of the community,fought hard to achieve this concession
The decision to enble the Parish Council to build 1,350 homes has meant that it has to embark on Phase Two of the Neighbourhood Plan process to seek sites for the new homes andto this end have been engaging on our own " Call for Sites" excercise.
Recently leaflet and letters have been delivered to residents and land interests to gather information on sites that may be suitable and available for development
Click HERE for Bowers Bugle Extra Winter 2018 for information and update on BGNB Neighbourhood Plan and "Call For Sites" request to Land Interests and the Local Plan.
Basildon Council Planning Officers assisted in this process by helping to send the Parish Coucnil's letter to all the land interests on their own " Call for Sites portfolio as the Parish Coucnil were not able to directly able to make contact due to General Data Protection Regualtions (GDPR) preventing them.
The Parish Council " Call for Sites" excercise ended on 14th January and we are not gathering all information and will carry out an Assesment for the suitability of each site.
The work on the Neighbourhood Plan has a cost implecation but currently funding has been obtained to cover the services of a consultant to help in the work of compiling the Neighbourhood Plan which currently is £23,000. The Parish Council Budget has only been used for minor ancillary costs.
A brief summary of the progess on the Neighbourhood Plan
Phase One
Designation of Neighbourhood Plan Area - DECISION NOTICE
i) Letter of application to designate Bowers Gifford & North Benfleet as a Neighbourhood Plan Area.
Consultation Survey - BGNB NP QUESTIONNAIRE
The Neighbourhood Plan Survey consultation was carried out from July 2017 and consultation completed over a six week period with further access for residents to make comment at the Parish Council event on 2nd September 2017
Consultation Survey - RESULTS
Q: 1 Q: 2 Q: 3 Q:4 Q: 5 Q: 6 Q: 7
Q:8 Q: 9 Q: 10 Q:11 Q: 12 Q: 13
Land at North Benfleet Hall Farm - ORBIT HOMES
(THE PREFERRED OPTION BY THE COMMUNITY )
Draft Concept Plan by Orbit Homes - CONCEPT PLAN MAP
Plotland Owners Survey - RESULTS
Plotlands - REPORT
BGNB Neighbourhood Plan - PRE-SUBMISSION REPORT - JANUARY 2018
BGNB Neighbourhood Plan - DRAFT SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL - JANUARY 2018
Sustainability Appraisal / SEA Consultation- SCOPING REPORT
Neighbourhood Plan - Phase Two
