Neighbourhood Plan

At its heart the Plan sets out a series of policies, to be in operation until 2031, that will determine – along with national, regional and district policies - the criteria used to judge any proposals about the future of the Parish.

So, for example, the Plan creates 14 ‘Local Green Spaces’, reflecting the strong desire to identify and protect green areas of particular importance to the community.

There are 7 policies on ‘design and built character’, including a specific policy for the Cumnor Conservation Area, the identification of 31 ‘important views’ that contribute to the essential rural character of the Parish, and a policy creating an ‘area of special local character’ encompassing lower Cumnor Hill and Third Acre Rise.

Policies on rural and natural environment address green infrastructure and flood risk, while policies on residential development cover residential mix, standards, care homes and residential institutions.
Employment, business and community facilities feature with policies on community, sports and recreation facilities, Farmoor reservoir and river environment and access.
Transport and Infrastructure policies include sustainable transport, cycle routes, footpaths, bridleways and digital connectivity.

Full details of the Plan, and all the supporting documentation, including flood risk assessments, character assessments, an Important Views report and a Local Green Spaces report, can be found on the VWHDC website.

Cumnor Parish Council will also be publishing on its website a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Plan to help parishioners and other interested parties navigate to the sections relevant to their interests and concerns.

Cumnor Parish Council would like to thank the more than 1000 people across the Parish who have contributed to the production of the plan. Whether it was attending public meetings, completing the ‘Big Survey’, or responding to two sets of consultations, developing the Plan would not have been possible without you.

Indeed, in his examination of the Plan in January 2021, the Independent Examiner commented that:
‘It is clear that consultation has been an important element of the Plan’s production… From all the evidence provided to me as part of the examination, I can see that the Plan has promoted an inclusive approach to seeking the opinions of all concerned throughout the process.’

Special thanks are also due to a dedicated group of volunteers in the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group and beyond, who walked and photographed virtually every inch of the Parish’s footpaths and bridleways; who analysed and described the history and local character of each part of the parish; and who worked behind the scenes building databases, questionnaires and spreadsheets, and proofread innumerable documents.

Even during the pandemic, when face to face meetings were no longer possible, they ‘Zoomed’ and ‘Facetimed’ at all hours to ensure the Plan could go to referendum as soon as was legally possible.
So, is that the end of the process? Well, ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Although the Plan in now legally in effect, in some respects the work is just beginning.

Cumnor Parish Council is already incorporating considerations of the Plan in its discussions and decisions on planning applications.

The Neighbourhood Plan also commits the Parish Council to 12 Community Actions, including working with VWHDC to designate 3 ‘Quiet Areas’ in the Dean Court ward, supporting the introduction of Low Emission Zones around Cumnor Primary and Matthew Arnold Schools, and pressing for more speed limit reductions throughout the Parish and weight limit reduction on HGVs in the historic centre of Cumnor Village.

All of this and more will be undertaken against a background of even more pressure on the Parish. Whether future national legislation will support Neighbourhood Plans remains to be seen, but in any case, developers and others will undoubtedly continue to seek to achieve what they want, rather than what Cumnor’s parishioners have said they want and need.

Should all of this inspire you into wanting to help, then there are many opportunities.

For example, the Parish Council’s ‘Fit for the Future’ working group is looking at, amongst other issues, how the Parish can both lead and respond to environmental initiatives, while the Cumnor Conservation Group is working hard to preserve and enhance assets as varied as the village pond and Cumnor Hurst, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

If you’d like to help, or just simply want to stay in touch, then please contact clerk@cumnorparishcouncil.org.uk .