Hungerford Neighbourhood Plan (Regulation 16 Consultation)

Have your say.

Consultation status Open - 48 days left

Start date: 2025-04-04

End date: 2025-05-23

Results 2025-06-27

Category: Adult Care and Housing, Business and Jobs, Leisure, Parks and Countryside, Planning and Building, Roads, Transport and Parking, Schools, Learning and Libraries

Ward:

Background

Hungerford Town Council, assisted by community volunteers, have prepared the Hungerford Neighbourhood Plan, which is also known as a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP). The purpose of the Hungerford NDP is to provide planning policies to guide development in the designated Hungerford Neighbourhood Area. The Neighbourhood Area covers the Parish of Hungerford.

Hungerford Town Council undertook a Regulation 14 consultation on the proposed submission version of the NDP between 16 February and 29 March 2024.

Following agreement at a meeting of Hungerford Town Council on 7 October 2024, the NDP was submitted to West Berkshire District Council (WBDC) on 31 October 2024. Upon submission WBDC took on responsibility for taking the NDP forward.

Further background information on the Hungerford NDP can be viewed here and also on Hungerford Town Council's website here.

What is being proposed

The NDP contains a series of development management policies which cover the following topics:

housing mix
design and character
gateways into and out of Hungerford
retrofitting historic buildings for energy efficiency
retaining and enhancing the vitality and viability of Hungerford Town Centre
key walk and cycle routes
play and youth facilities
local Green Space designations
wellbeing and safety through design
low energy and energy efficient design
wildlife friendly development

The Hungerford NDP also includes two residential site allocations:

land at Smitham Bridge Road: 44 dwellings
land north of Cottrell Close: 12 dwellings

Why we want your views

In line with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended), the Hungerford NDP must now be publicised with comments invited. This is known as the Regulation 16 consultation.

Consultation documents

The submission Hungerford NDP and its supporting documents are available to view/download below:

Reference copies of the documents are available to view in the following locations:

West Berkshire District Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury, RG14 5LD. The offices are open Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm, and on Fridays 8.30am to 4.30pm.
Hungerford Library, Church Street, Hungerford, RG17 0JG. The library is open Tuesday's 9.30am to 5pm, Wednesday's 9.30am to 4pm, Friday 9.30am to 7pm, and Saturdays 10am to 12.30pm.

We are also publishing online for information the following supporting evidence documents which Hungerford Town Council have used to inform the submission version of the NDP:

How to take part

A representation form can be downloaded here [312KB] . Paper copies of the representation form are also available at West Berkshire District Council Offices in Newbury and in Hungerford Library.

Completed forms can be submitted in the following ways:

Email: planningpolicy@westberks.gov.uk.
Post: Planning Policy Team, Development and Housing, West Berkshire District Council, Market Street, Newbury, RG14 5LD.

All representations must be received by 11.59pm on Friday 23 May 2025.

If you have any questions about the consultation, please email planningpolicy@westberks.gov.uk or call 01635 519 111.

What happens next

Once the consultation ends, the Hungerford NDP will undergo independent examination. The representations received to the consultation will be forwarded to an appointed examiner. The representations will also be published on our website here.

The opportunity for further comments at this stage would only be at the specific request of the examiner. Most neighbourhood plans are examined without the need for a public hearing. If you think the neighbourhood plan requires a public hearing, you can state this in your comments, but the examiner will make the final decision.

Following the examination, the examiner will issue a report, which could include some recommended changes to the NDP to meet a set of tests known as 'Basic Conditions'. If this part of the process is successful, the next stage would be to proceed to a Referendum.

If the Hungerford NDP is successful at Referendum, then it will form part of the statutory development plan, and will form the basis for determining planning applications in Hungerford Parish.