As many will already know, Blewbury is in the process of drawing up a Neighbourhood Plan. This will set out the community’s view of the sort of place they would like the village to be in the years ahead. It will also address local concerns by setting out how the community expect to see land used and developed in the parish. To write a plan that is considered acceptable by the government, a significant ‘evidence base’ must first be assembled before the plan can begin to take shape.

The Blewbury Neighbourhood Plan Group undertook a large-scale Housing Needs Survey in October 2014 to find out about what is needed within the village. The survey forms an important part of the overall evidence base for our Neighbourhood Plan. The data we collected will help to establish the level of demand for new housing from within Blewbury and what sort of accommodation might be required. We also gathered opinions on local amenities and infrastructure within the village. Although the survey was voluntary, a high response rate was essential and we succeeded in getting an excellent response of well over 60% of households. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to fill in this extensive questionnaire.

The information we collected is strictly anonymous, and a third party company processed the data in a confidential manner in accordance with market research industry protocols. The report produced will not contain information that can be traced back to any one individual.

A summary of the results of the survey was presented at a public meeting on 28 February 2015, along with initial results of an independent assessment of the landscape in and around Blewbury. Click here for links to the material shown at that meeting and a summary of the survey results.

The Neighbourhood Plan will contain policies to shape our future neighbourhood and to guide what sort of development happens where. You will eventually be asked to vote on the finished plan which, if accepted by over 50% of those who vote, will form a legal document which must be taken into consideration by the local planning department when considering planning applications.