Neighbourhood Planning

Following the successful referendum on 6th May 2021, Sedgemoor District Council has now formally 'made' the Nether Stowey Neighbourhood Plan, and the plan now forms part of the Statutory Development Plan for the area.

Planning decisions should be made in accordance with the Development Plan, unless there are other material considerations that indicate otherwise. The adopted Nether Stowey Neighbourhood Plan is available to view here: Nether Stowey Neighbourhood Plan - Adoption Version

A copy of the Decision Statement is available to view here: Nether Stowey Decision Statement

The Neighbourhood Plan for Nether Stowey parish was overwhelmingly approved by residents at the Referendum held on Thursday 6th May. The results are as follows:

Votes cast: 396 (total electorate 1,171)
YES – 338 votes
NO – 55 votes
Rejected – 3

There was a turnout of 34.32% with 85.4% in favour of the Plan being adopted and used by Sedgemoor District Council to help it to decide planning applications in the parish.

The Neighbourhood Plan has been written by a group of local residents, overseen by the Parish Council with the help of a professional consultant. the referendum is organised by Sedgemoor District Council and a Notice of Referendum and further details will be published on Monday 22 March.

The referendum asks you to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a single question: ‘Do you want Sedgemoor District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Nether Stowey to help it decide planning applications in the Neighbourhood Area?’

You must be registered to be able to vote in this referendum. It is not too late to register if you have not previously done so. Further information about registering, and how to apply for a postal or proxy vote is available here.

Read the final version of the Neighbourhood Plan here. This version incorporates the Independent Examiner's modifications. Her report and other documents are available here (new tab).

Following examination of the Nether Stowey Neighbourhood Plan Sedgemoor District Council have published the Examiner's report and decision statement. It is expected that the Referendum will be held in May.

The examiner has concluded that, subject to modification, the plan meets the basic conditions and other legal requirements.

Following receipt of the examiners report Sedgemoor District Council has also published its regulation 18 decision statement, which sets out what action to take in response to the the recommendations of the Examiner. The decision statement confirms the decision of the Council is that the Nether Stowey Neighbourhood Plan should now proceed to referendum. Copies of both the examiners report and decision statement are available to view and download from Sedgemoor’s website link - click here.

Janet Cheesley has been appointed Independent Examiner to undertake the examination of the Nether Stowey Neighbourhood Plan. Her role is to determine whether the Plan meets the Basic Conditions and other legal requirements.

Following formal submission and publication of the Nether Stowey Neighbourhood Plan independent examination of the plan has now commenced. Janet Cheesley has been appointed Independent Examiner to undertake the examination. Her role is to determine whether the Plan meets the Basic Conditions and other legal requirements.

The submitted Nether Stowey Neighbourhood Plan contains proposed planning policies relevant to the designated neighbourhood area. The Neighbourhood Plan, if made, will form part of the Development Plan for the area, and will guide future development within the Neighbourhood Plan area.

The submitted plan and associated documents are available to view and download from Sedgemoor’s website link - click here

Link to Sedgemoor page

Following the consultation which took place last year, our Neighbourhood Plan was updated to address and reflect the responses we received from both residents and businesses with connections to the village.

At their meeting on 13 January 2020, Nether Stowey Parish Council approved the Plan which will now be formally submitted to Sedgemoor District Council.

Sedgemoor DC will contact all organisations with a connection to the village to seek any further comments after which the Plan will be passed to an independent planning inspector to ensure our Plan meets all applicable regulations and statutes. After this it will be put to a village referendum for final adoption and approval by residents. This entire process will take about 3 or 4 months.

The latest ("Submission Version") of the draft Neighbourhood Plan is now available below.

Please keep reading these pages for updates

Nether Stowey’s future
The Nether Stowey Neighbourhood Plan is now nearing completion.

A consultation was held in April 2018 at the Thomas Poole Library and the input and comments you gave us have been collated into the Neighbourhood Plan and this is now ready for your final review before being submitted for independent examination and formal adoption. This will mean that the Plan has to be taken into consideration by any development in the Parish and that we will receive 25% (instead of 15%) of any applicable Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

During the consultation period we are asking for your feedback on the draft Plan so please take this opportunity to comment, either to say what you like about the Plan or what you think needs changing on the comment sheet which is also available. Your feedback will be taken on board before finalising the Plan for examination by an independent examiner.

The Plan is now available and you can get a copy by:

- - Downloading from the Parish Council web site Neighbourhood Plan page click the link here
  - Sending an e-mail to NSPlan@netherstowey-pc.gov.uk and we will
    e-mail or hand deliver a copy
  - Collecting a printed copy from the Parish Office.
  The comment sheet is available by the same methods listed above
  
  We are keen to get your remarks and views and the comment sheet can be returned to us by e-mail to NSPlan@netherstowey-pc.gov.uk or by handing it in at the Parish Office by 31 October.
  
  Consultation Events
  In addition, there will be a display of the Plan in the Parish Office from Tuesday 17th to Friday 27th September between 10am and 1pm.
  During the consultation period, we are also holding some ‘meet the team’ events to give you the opportunity to chat with members of the Neighbourhood Plan team. These events will be on:
  - - - Friday 20th September 10.15am – 12.30pm
      - Friday 20th September 3pm - 6.30pm
      - Saturday 21st September 10am - 12.00pm

Neighbourhood Plan Update – June 2021

The Nether Stowey Neighbourhood Plan was formally adopted by Sedgemoor District Council on 29th June 2021.

Neighbourhood Plan Update – March 2021

Following examination of the Nether Stowey Neighbourhood Plan Sedgemoor District Council have published the Examiner's report and decision statement. It is expected that the Referendum will be held in May.

Neighbourhood Plan Update – July 2020

Neighbourhood Plan Update – April 2020

Neighbourhood Plan Update – Jan 2020

Neighbourhood Planning documents

Neighbourhood Plan update

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Neighbourhood Plan Consultation Event - Updated documents are now available here

Update from Cllr Malcolm Hogg, Chairman of the Neighbourhood Planning Working Group

This is the first step and we will be adding more as time goes on. Details about a meeting to get the steering group up and running will follow soon.