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Neighbourhood Planning Important Update

Following a meeting of the Hurst Neighbourhood Plan Working group (HNPWG) on the 6th January 2025, the Chair of the HNPWG, along with the rest of the HNPWG, have resigned from the Group with immediate effect.

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Penny Curry who was Chair of the HNPWG remains Chair of the Hurst Parish Council and the Hurst Parish Council was informed of the resignations at the Parish Council meeting on the 7th January, 2025.

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Locality (the national membership network supporting local community organisations) has confirmed that there is no formal process in relation to stopping the preparation of a Neighbourhood Development Plan that needs to be followed but has advised that we should notify the local community and let the Local Authority know.  We have duly informed Wokingham Borough Council and this release will be put on our website and our social media channels. 

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Our understanding from Locality is that because the Hurst Parish Council have designated the Neighbourhood Plan that designation remains.  As the HNPWG falls under the auspices of the Hurst Parish Council any future correspondence relating to the Hurst Neighbourhood Plan should go to the Hurst Parish Council (clerk@hurstpc.org.uk).

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Members of the Hurst Parish Council will consider the way forward at our next meeting on the 4th February 2025. 


St Nicholas Hurst Parish Council
8th January 2025
 

Statement in relation to Local Green Space Designation in Hurst - 10th March 2021

In the St Nicholas Hurst Parish Council’s (SNHPC) meeting of 6th July 2020, attending Councillors – who are all unpaid, local volunteers – were asked to reflect and vote on three undeveloped land sites to put forward for potential Local Green Space (LGS) designation by Wokingham Borough Council. These three sites were the large horse and donkey fields located between Tape Lane and Lodge Road, the Hurst Cricket Club, and the field in the centre of the village between School Road and Orchard Road.

 

Willowmead 5HU006- Land between Lodge Road and Tape Lane 5HU008/5HU016/5HU031 were submitted to WBC for Housing in the Local Plan process- link below: 

https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/planning-policy/planning-policy-information/draft-local-plan-consultation/?assetdet91f252ff-550d-4cfa-a838-92ef2cb5f83c=509060&categoryesctl91f252ff-550d-4cfa-a838-92ef2cb5f83c=10726

 

Councillors unanimously voted to put all three sites forward for LGS consideration by Wokingham Borough Council on the basis the Borough Council would contact landowners and carry out a full assessment of the sites.  This was driven by a belief that it is the SNHPC’s duty to try and protect, whenever possible, the natural character and most cherished green spaces found within the Parish. In making their decision, Councillors were conscious that these sites were owned by private landowners, so reviewed information about each of the locations and discussed relevant anecdotes and recent survey feedback from local residents.

 

Over recent weeks it has become clear to Councillors that there is considerable ongoing local interest and concern from some landowners about the future of these three sites. As a result the SNHPC has decided that a more democratic means to decide on the fate of the Parish’s green spaces is required.

 

To properly effect that democratic process, the SNHPC has now revoked the three potential LGS sites put forward for consideration by Wokingham Borough Council, preferring instead to engage local residents via the mechanism of the established Neighbourhood Plan. These plans are designed specifically to enable communities to play a much stronger role in shaping the areas in which they live and work, including to determine what locations need greatest protection from development, or indeed are in most need of development. Hurst’s Neighbourhood Plan has consistently been championed by the SNHPC. More information about these plans can be found on the Parish Council’s website at http://www.hurstplan.uk/

 

There is expected to be an opportunity for a local referendum on the Neighbourhood Plan relevant to the Parish of Hurst by 2022. The SNHPC encourages residents to review this plan in detail and to vote on it when the next opportunity arises.

 

SNHPC remains committed to trying to protect the natural character and most cherished green spaces within the Parish.  

 

ENDS

Contact Us

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Clerk - Maria Bradshaw
The Office, 9 Primrose Lane,

Winnersh, Wokingham.

RG41 5UR.

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T: 0118 979 8914
Email: clerk@hurstpc.org.uk

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