Our Parish – Our Future – We voted YES!
Welcome to the Preston Parish Neighbourhood Plan website.
The journey is now complete.
- The Preston Parish Neighbourhood Plan Referendum was held on March 5 2020. There was a 41% turn out with 91% voting in favour and 9% voting against the Neighbourhood Plan. Follow this link to view the Formal Declaration.
- North Hertfordshire District Council formally “made” the Neighbourhood Plan on April 2 2020.
- The Preston Parish Neighbourhood Plan will be part of the statutory development plan for North Hertfordshire until 2031.
Please use this website to follow the journey of the Plan from the initial Village Meeting to the final steps outlined above.
The plan can be viewed by following this link:
Preston Parish Neighbourhood Plan 2018 – 2031
To view just the set of policies on a single web page follow this link:
All of the associated documents and previous documents are available via the Your Say page.
The Process
Completed – June 2016
- Stage 1 –
- Define the Neighbourhood Plan area
- Determine if the parishioners would like a Neighbourhood Plan for Preston
Completed – September 2017
- Stage 2 –
- Survey – consult residents about their wishes for the parish
- Obtain grants towards costs of survey and publicity
- Analyse and present survey results
- Gather other information
- Define the objectives of the Neighbourhood Plan
- Engage volunteers for specific projects
Completed – April 2018
- Stage 3 –
- Consult residents on Draft Objectives
- Review and refine objectives and draft plan, incorporating comments on objectives
- Select independent Consultant to advise on the draft plan and to ensure that all relevant criteria and legislation are fully met
- Obtain grant towards cost of professional help
- Engage and work with independent Consultant to finalise draft plan for Regulation 14
- Informal consultation (Regulation 14)
- Produce next draft of the plan based on the consultation results
- Submit draft plan to North Herts District Council (Regulation 15)
Completed – Summer 2018
- Stage 4 – Conduct formal round of public consultation (Regulation 16)
Completed – February 2019
- Stage 3 revisited –
- Update plan in line with any changes in the NPPF, the emerging Local Plan and addressing Regulation 16 comments
- Submit updated plan to NHDC
The following 3 stages are organised and paid for by North Herts District Council.
Completed – November 2019
- Stage 4 revisited – Conduct formal round of public consultation (Regulation 16)
- Consultation
- Collate comments
- Stage 5 – Examination of the Neighbourhood Plan by an independent examiner – to ensure it meets all statutory obligations.
Referendum held 5 March 2020, We voted YES and the Neighbourhood Plan is made
- Stage 6 – Referendum conducted by North Herts District Council
- NHDC Cabinet decide if the Neighbourhood Plan can proceed to Referendum
- Cabinet decision made public
- Referendum date announced – Thursday 5 March
- Referendum takes place – we voted YES
- The Neighbourhood Plan must be used by Planning Officers when determining planning applications in the Neighbourhood Area.
- The Neighbourhood Plan is formally made by NHDC
For a fuller description of the stages in producing the plan please visit the Our Future page.
How it all began
Our Parliament passed the Localism Act in 2012. This new Act gives all communities, for the first time ever, the legal right and opportunity to prepare their own Neighbourhood Plan. Such a plan sets out policies to guide development and the use of land in a parish or a neighbourhood. Once approved by NHDC, the plan becomes part of the statutory planning process.
At a public meeting, in our Village Hall on 26th June 2016, a large majority of the 35 residents attending voted in favour of producing a Neighbourhood Plan for this parish. Some residents volunteered to form the Steering Group, and to be responsible for producing the plan. Others volunteered to be involved in different ways.
This is our parish – we are concerned about our future – everyone in the parish who wanted to take part (over 90%) has had their say to help shape that future.