Neighbourhood Development Plan 2018 to 2033
Neighbourhood Development Plans are a way for communities to have an influence on the future of the places where they live and work. The East Hagbourne Neighbourhood Plan was prepared by local people, led by a steering group reporting to the Parish Council.
The views of residents were collected, and independent, expert assessments of the village itself and of the landscape of the entire parish were carried out. The village was then consulted on drafts of the Plan, followed by detailed scrutiny of the final draft by an independent government examiner.
The East Hagbourne Neighbourhood Development Plan was formally “made” by South Oxfordshire District Council on 11th April 2019, since when it has formed part of that council’s development plan. Decision-makers are obliged, by law, to take what it says into account when they consider proposals for development in the parish.
2024 Update
East Hagbourne Parish Council and its Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group have now prepared an update to the Plan. The changes do not alter the nature of the Plan – the Vision and Objectives remain unchanged and the Policies remain broadly the same. This update does, however, bring two new appendices which strengthen and clarify the application of the policies. Both of these include elements allowing our Plan to more clearly respond to environmental issues.
Appendix 11 presents a new “Design Guide and Codes”. This has been prepared for us by AECOM and is based both on national criteria and on an understanding of our local village character. It supports, in particular, Policy VC3 which calls on development to retain our smaller village character and promote good design.
Existing Policy E2 requires that development proposals should respect the natural environment and protect and enhance biodiversity. This objective is reinforced by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which calls for local wildlife-rich habitats to be identified, mapped and safeguarded. We have responded to this through a new Appendix 12, which is a “Strategy for People and Nature”. It maps what we know about wildlife at a local level in East Hagbourne parish and gives recommendations for how our wildlife assets can be safeguarded and enhanced. The additional information has allowed us to complement Policy E2 with two new policies – E2a on Wildlife Buffers and E2b on Enhancing Wildlife Habitat.
In addition, changes have been made to expand the area of one of our Local Green Spaces (Bakers Lane Paddocks) in Policy E1 and Appendix 3, and to add the small green spaces at Rymans Crescent and Windsor Crescent as “Assets of Local Distinctiveness” in Policy VC4.
The Plan and related documents can be found on the South Oxfordshire District Council’s web site at
In addition, the full 2024 updated Plan and a full history of the earlier version can be found on this site by following the links below.
Reviews were carried out after 12-months and on publication of the SODC Local Plan 2035. These can also be found below