Watton Neighbourhood Plan (Regulation 16) Consultation

Watton Town Council have submitted the final version of the Watton Neighbourhood Plan for consultation.

As the local planning authority, the Council is now required to undertake a consultation to provide an opportunity for all parties to comment on whether the submitted plan meets the basic conditions before it goes to examination. This consultation is known as Regulation 16 stage in accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012. The basic conditions are that the plan:

• Must be appropriate having regard to National Policy
• Must contribute to the achievement of sustainable development
• Must be in general conformity with the strategic policies in the development plan for the local area
• Must be compatible with human rights requirements

The consultation that commenced on 30th January 2023 has been extended by 3 weeks and will now close at 17.00 on 7^th April 2023.

What is the Watton Neighbourhood Plan?

The Watton Neighbourhood Plan has been prepared following the adoption of the Breckland District Local Plan in November 2019 and the most recent revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in 2021. The Town Council has taken the opportunity to develop design guidelines and propose new Local Green Spaces.

Consultation Documents

You can view the following consultation documents:

• Watton Neighbourhood Plan 2021-2036 (PDF, 8 MB)
• Watton Neighbourhood Plan Basic Conditions Statement 2022 (PDF, 1 MB)
• Watton Neighbourhood Plan Consultation Statement 2022 (PDF, 4 MB)
• Watton Neighbourhood Plan Strategic Environmental Assessment Screening Report 22 (PDF, 742 KB)
• Watton Neighbourhood Plan Habitat Regulation Assessment Screening Report 2022 (PDF, 492 KB)
• Watton Neighbourhood Plan - Non Designated Heritage Assets Report (PDF, 4 MB)
• Watton Town Council - Watton Character Appraisal (opens new window)
• Watton Town Council - Watton Site Assessment (opens new window)
• Watton Town Council - Watton Market Report (opens new window)
• Watton Town Council - Design Code Report (opens new window)
• Watton Neighbourhood Plan Local Green Spaces Assessment (PDF, 3 MB)

Alternatively, the documents listed above are available to view at the following locations:

• Breckland District Council, Elizabeth House, Walpole Loke, Dereham, NR19 1EE 
• Watton Town Council, Wayland Hall, Middle Street, Watton, Thetford, IP25 6AG

Who can take part in the consultation?

The consultation is aimed at individuals and organisations living, working or carrying out business within Watton Town who will be affected by the plan, or are interested in what the plan contains.

How can I submit my comments?

You can submit your comments by:

Completing the representation form (Word doc, 52 KB)(opens new window) and emailing this to NeighbourhoodPlanning@breckland.gov.uk

You can also submit your views in writing, setting out your support or objection to the Neighbourhood Plan, to which part of the Neighbourhood Plan the representation relates (i.e., page, paragraph, policy, map), and your reasons including what changes you feel are necessary to ensure the plan meets the basic conditions. In order for these to be considered, you can:

• Email:NeighbourhoodPlanning@breckland.gov.uk or
• Write to: Planning Policy Team, Breckland District Council, Elizabeth House, Walpole Loke, Dereham, NR19 1EE  (Please ensure that there is sufficient time to guarantee delivery to our office by the closing date for comments)

Within your response to this consultation you can request to be notified of Breckland District Council's decision to adopt the plan once an examination and referendum have taken place.

Please note that we are unable to accept anonymous comments.

For information about how your responses are managed please view our Data Protection Policy

What Happens Next?

Following the 6 week consultation period, all comments received from this will be sent to an Independent Examiner who will examine the plan. If the Independent Examiner determines that the plan meets the basic conditions with or without modifications, the Council will consider their recommendations and decide whether the plan will proceed to referendum which will determine whether to 'make' the Watton Neighbourhood Plan.