Rural Housing Blog - January's news from our very own Rural Housing Enabler Arlene Kersley...

Neighbourhood Planning News

A Second Neighbourhood Plan for RBWM!


Hurley and the Walthams Neighbourhood Plan Recommended for Approval by Examiner (with modifications)

The Hurley and the Walthams Neighbourhood Plan has now passed through the examination phase.  However there are a number of policy deletions and modifications that have been recommended by the Examiner, Nigel McGurk, before the Plan can be put to referendum.

The following options now exist:
• The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead can accept all of recommended changes and submit the revised plan for referendum.  The modifications are required unless there are clear reasons for RBWM to depart from the recommendations. Departures could result in challenges to the plan by developers in the future.
• The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group may choose to withdraw the Plan.  This would be an extreme response with the result that all of the work that has gone into the Plan will be void. 

The Examiner has given comprehensive justifications for the recommended modifications.
Importantly the Neighbourhood Plan contains a rural exception policy for the area and is the first Neighbourhood Plan in the country to do so.  The Examiner has recognised that the policy promotes positive development for the area.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in consultation with the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group will now decide which approach to take.  Should the Plan be modified and put to referendum, RBWM must publicise details of the modifications and arrange for the referendum to take place.

Arlene Kersley, CCB’s RHE says:
“ While it is disappointing that some of the policies have fallen by the wayside, the Hurley and the Walthams Neighbourhood Plan Group should be very proud of the success it has had in getting these polices accepted in a predominately Green Belt Area.  The whole community deserves recognition for the years of hard work that has gone into this document and it is pleasing that the Examiner as recognised the quality of the consultation that took place to arrive at this document.”

Rural Affordable Housing

Locality is offering Free Training for Community Groups

Locality are offering a series of 3 Free training events in Reading for committed Community Groups covering:
• Introduction to Public Relations
• Introduction to Marketing
• Introduction to Social Media
Full information is available from the My Community website:
http://mycommunity.org.uk/funding-options/media-marketing-savvy-training/

FREE Training – Affordable Housing in 2017 

Places are filing fast for this event – only a few remain.
What is it? Who is it for? How is it developed?
21st February 2017, 18.30-21.00

Calcot Community Centre, Calcot, West Berkshire
Run by Arlene Kersley, the CCB Rural Housing Enabler the session will explain recent changes in affordable housing legislation and help delegates to understand:
• different affordable housing tenures
• who qualifies for affordable housing
• how is affordable housing developed?  
• funding for development
• what is different about ‘rural’ housing and rural exception sites
• what are the development tools available to communities to get the development they want? (Community Led Development, Self-build options; Neighbourhood Planning)

Come and understand the different approaches that can be taken to get the housing that is right for your community. Numbers are limited so book early.
Register for your place at:  https://ccberks.wufoo.com/forms/z1qkdv961q3ndus/

For more information contact Arlene Kersley, Rural Housing Enabler for Berkshire at CCB on: 0118 961 2000 or by email: arlene.kersley@ccberks.org.uk