Kings Langley residents and the parish council have spent three years developing the Neighbourhood Plan, which will soon be put to a vote in a referendum.
The plan is a set of policies, defining how the community wants the village to develop over the next 18 years.
There have been several consultations with villagers and so the parish council is “delighted” that the Neighbourhood Plan has successfully passed through the examination stage, with the examiner’s final report received on August 15. On October 10, Dacorum Borough Council (DBC) issued the decision statement for the plan, stating that subject to modifications, the Neighbourhood Plan meets the basic conditions and can proceed to a referendum. The date for the referendum has been set for Thursday, November 17.
The plan includes the development of new homes, schools, health facilities, places of worship, and leisure facilities; transport and access issues; the restriction of certain types of development; the protection and creation of open spaces; the promotion of renewable energy projects, and more.
According to the priorities identified by the 2019 Parish Plan Survey, the plan aims to preserve and improve the aspects of Kings Langley that “parishioners most value”, including its village status; the green belt; proximity to open countryside, canals, woods, and the Common; a thriving High Street; and a strong sense of community.
Following the Parish Survey in 2017, work started on the plan in 2019 and was shaped by input from the community and local businesses.
The earliest steps of the Neighbourhood Plan included the creation of a website and involvement with the community.
The development of the draft plan was aided by a number of commissioned studies in 2020 that helped create concepts and data, as well as surveys and reviews. In-person meetings were conducted with a variety of neighbourhood organisations.
Kings Langley councillor John Morrish, who is leading the project on behalf of the parish council, said: “This has been a long journey through many consultations, but I am happy that we have a plan that will work for our village over the plan period from now until 2038.
“Please make sure you vote in favour of the plan in the referendum because, after a successful referendum, our plan has to be taken into account by DBC in all planning applications and will play a key role in influencing the style of development in the village as well as delivering a number of other objectives.
“The referendum will be run in the same way as a borough election, with all three polling stations open for voting. Please take the time to vote as the more votes we have, the more we can prove that the plan is representative of our village needs.”
Cllr Morrish also added that if people voted in favour of the plan, the parish council will receive an increase in community infrastructure levy, which is a charge that local authorities can impose on new developments in their area. He explained the increase “gives us [the parish council] more resources to carry out projects that residents would like to see in the village”.
For further information on the planning process visit bit.ly/3SpwjXm
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