The Loders Neighbourhood Plan will provide an important tool for residents to influence the future of the parish and what is built in the area in the period up to 2027.
The neighbourhood plan was prepared by a Steering Group (of residents)
set up by Loders Parish Council. The Steering Group was open to
any local resident who was interested in helping prepare the plan.
The Parish Council considered all the comments made through the consultations,
and made changes to the plan as a result. The submission draft
was examined by an independent inspector appointed by the District Council.
The examiner found that the plan met the basic conditions and that a
referendum on whether to adopt the plan could be held. A referendum
was held on 5 May 2016 where 83.4% of individuals who voted, voted in
favour of the plan. The plan was then formally ‘made’ by
West Dorset District Council on 21 July 2016 and will now be used in
planning decisions in the neighbourhood area.
The neighbourhood plan is in four parts
Loders Parish is a thriving rural community with a wide range of activities for young and old. We also like living here because it is an attractive historic settlement set in beautiful unspoilt countryside. Over the next 10 to 15 years some building and change can be expected, to retain a good mix of housing, business and community uses. This should be organic and incremental so that any development and change is indiscernible, as building works will be in keeping with the historic character of the settlement, and unobtrusive in the wider countryside.
Environment:
Objective: We place a high value on the special features of the countryside and buildings in the neighbourhood plan area. We want to make sure these remain for future generations to enjoy. This means careful stewardship of the farmland, hedgerows, trees, rivers and open amenity areas; protecting our wildlife habitats and the features in the landscape we value such as the strip lynchets and old trackways. We also want to make sure that the traditional form and style of buildings in the parish is kept and that any new building respects this.
Policies: The environment policies set the context for where development will take place, defining a development boundary around the village of Loders, Yondover and Uploders where new buildings can happen, and encouraging the re-use of redundant farm buildings (whether within or outside the development boundary). Policies have been included that identify those environmental features that will be protected, including important gaps, views and local green spaces, features of historic interest and important wildlife habitats. There is also a policy on the design of new buildings and extensions and alterations to existing buildings, providing guidance on how development should be more in keeping with the area (unlike some of the developments that have happened in the past).
Community:
Objective: We are proud of the fact that we have an active working community. Community activities flourish here, strongly supported by volunteers. It is important to us that these community facilities are kept and supported.
Policies: There is one community policy in the plan. This lists the important community assets (such as the school and village hall) and tries to make sure that these are retained and not developed for other uses. It also makes clear that proposals to improve these facilities will generally be supported.
Housing:
Objective: As a community we want to remain much as we are - whilst allowing for organic and incremental growth of housing that broadly reflects the past rate of growth and addresses our local needs for housing in the plan period to 2027. We want to ensure that this new or additional housing is of high quality design, small in scale for small family homes, homes for first time buyers and people wishing to downsize, and preferably provided by infill development (but not infilling the gaps and local green spaces identified in this plan).
Policies: The first of the two housing policies
sets out the level of housing that will be supported within the development
boundary of the main village. No specific sites have been allocated,
but the development boundary takes into account the opportunities for
incremental growth in this location, some of which may well come forward
during the plan period. The second policy makes clear that most
of the housing that is developed should be for small, two or three bedrooms
homes.
Business:
Objective: Businesses flourish from many
places in the parish including homes, workshops and redundant farm buildings.
It is important to us that we stay an active working community.
We want to support locally-based businesses, including those in theparish
who work (or want to work) locally and/or from home. This may
be through improvements to working conditions, communications and services
where these can be influenced by the neighbourhood plan and also supporting
extensions to existing business where these will not cause traffic problems
or noise and disturbance.
Policies: The business policy recognises that supporting businesses is important, but for this to be sustainable the effects of traffic, noise and other possible impacts need to be kept under control. It also highlights the opportunities that exist to convert or replace redundant rural buildings.