MISSION STATEMENT
To work with the community to deliver an appropriate and sustainable Neighbourhood Development Plan that will meet the immediate needs of the Parish of Capel and the expectations of future generations whilst respecting the individual characteristics of the three Wards.
Fig 1 - NDP area approved by Capel Parish Council and Mole Valley District Council June 2015
INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Capel Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) is a new type of planning document. The purpose of the Plan is to give local people more say about what goes on in their area. It forms part of the new approach to planning set out in the Localism Act 2011 (the Localism Act) that came into force in April 2012.
1.2 The NDP provides a vision for the future of the Parish and sets out clear planning policies to realise that vision.
1.3 The NDP has been developed through extensive consultation with the people of Capel Parish and others with an interest in the Parish.
1.4 An overview of the consultation is also contained in a ‘Consultation Statement’. This fully accords with the requirements of the Localism Act and Regulation 14 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 [SI No. 637/2012]. Where appropriate, the NDP has been amended in response to consultation comments.
Details of this consultation are recorded in a series of reports which may be downloaded from the NDP website.
How the Neighbourhood Plan fits into the Planning System
1.5 Although the intention is for local people to decide what goes on in their neighbourhoods, the Localism Act sets out some important basic requirements. One of these is that all Neighbourhood Plans must be in line with higher level planning policy, contained in:
This Core Strategy requires Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) to deliver 3760 dwellings between 2006 and 2026. By March 2015, some 1970 dwellings had been built in Mole Valley.
Additionally, MVDC are required to identify a supply of housing for an immediate 5 year surplus (815 dwellings) and have a deliverable supply of 1,126 dwellings (this is subject to an update).
The new Local Development Scheme (LDS) for Mole Valley District Council was agreed on 22nd March 2016. It is anticipated an examination will take place of the new Local Plan in spring 2018 with adoption in 2019.
This timescale is important for the NDP. It will enable its early implementation and the opportunity of making representations regarding modifications to the Green Belt boundary in relation to its proposals.
1.6 The Localism Act allows the NDP to provide more than this number of houses and amount of employment land, but it does not allow the Plan to provide for less
1.7 The NDP gives local people the power to decide where new housing and employment should go, and how the Parish should change
1.8 Although deciding where new housing and new employment should go is an important part of the NDP, it is about much more than this. The Plan is a strategy for the Parish as a whole. It looks at a wide range of issues, including:
1.9 This Plan is divided into the following sections:
1.10 This entire document forms the Neighbourhood Development Plan for the Parish of Capel under the Localism Act, whereas Sections 4 and 5 form the Policies of the NDP.
1.11 The large amount of background information that has helped to produce the NDP is known as the evidence base. A document, Capel Neighbourhood Plan: Evidence Base Schedule, is included at the end of this document. This provides an overview as well as explaining the options that were considered during the production of the NDP.
An aim of the NDP is to enhance the natural resources and the environment in the Parish by having specific regard to its air, water and soil.
1.13 A further aim is to promote a sustainable Parish community, which will be: