MANP - The Marlborough Area Neighbourhood Plan
The most recent minutes of the Steering Group, and updated versions of the Neighbourhood Plan, are available on our Documents & Links page
What is happening with the Neighbourhood Plan?
Written on 14 December 2021
Following the Regulation 14 public consultation for people living in the Neighbourhood Plan area, the draft Plan was reviewed and amended to take residents’ views into account. The FAQs on the website were also updated to respond to some queries that people raised during the consultation.
The revised draft Plan was then submitted to Wiltshire Council, which undertook its own consultation exercise, called Public Consultation (Regulation 16). This process closed on 8 November. There were comments made by both statutory bodies and by members of the public.
The MANP Steering Group reviewed these comments and went back to Wiltshire Council with observations and explanations were necessary (some of the comments repeated those from the Regulation 14 exercise and have already been addressed). There is unfortunately still some misunderstanding as to what the remit of the Neighbourhood Plan is. For example, it is not within the power of the Steering Group to allocate land for an expanded surgery (identified by the surgery itself and by local people as a key need). It is for the Clinical Commissioning Group and the surgery to provide the service needed. The Steering Group tried to support the surgery in that task by facilitating discussions with the Police Commissioner about using the old police station (not pursued by the surgery) and by asking landowners for sites that might be used. The only site offered was that close to the leisure centre in Barton Dene. Neither can the MANP provide land for sports; no landowners offered such land. The next best thing the MANP can do is have policies to reflect the priority to be given in these areas, which, if the Plan is adopted, will inform Wiltshire Council planning decisions.
It was encouraging to see comments which endorsed the Plan, and supported the suggested sites for housing, which would help with the provision of affordable housing.
Wiltshire Council has appointed an independent external examiner, whose role it is to review the draft plan and confirm whether it should go forward for a referendum.
Wiltshire Council has not provided a timescale, but any referendum would probably not be held before February 2022.
For more information, please refer to this useful step by step guide on the Wiltshire Council’s website - https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/planning-neighbourhood-process
Public Consultation (Regulation 16): 20 September to 8 November 2021
Draft Marlborough Area Neighbourhood Plan (2021 – 2036) Regulation 16 Consultation
Wiltshire Council consulted on the proposed Draft Marlborough Area Neighbourhood Plan, which was formally submitted by Marlborough Town Council.
Following this consultation, the comments received were passed to an independent examiner to consider the representations and recommend whether the draft Neighbourhood Plan should be put to a community referendum.
The consultation started on Monday 20 September 2021 and closed on Monday 8 November 2021.
Please be aware that all representations will be publicly available and may also appear on the Wiltshire Council website.
Further information including the submitted draft neighbourhood plan and how to comment were available online via http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/planning-neighbourhood-consultations
Where possible, responders were asked to provide any comments using the Consultation Portal. Alternatively, an editable representation form was available to be downloaded from the Supporting Files section on the consultation portal, and completed forms could either be emailed to neighbourhoodplanning@wiltshire.gov.uk or sent by post to:
Spatial Planning Team, Economic Development and Planning, Wiltshire Council, County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge BA14 8JN
A copy was also available on request by calling neighbourhood planning on 01225 713598 or 713986.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Spatial Planning on Tel: 01225 713598 or by email to neighbourhoodplanning@wiltshire.gov.uk
Read and download a 
Press Release here
Public Consultation (Regulation 14): 18 January to 8 March 2021
This consultation is now closed - thank you to everyone who submitted their comments.
You can still read about the consultation and open the draft plan and supporting documents by clicking the link below.
Marlborough Neighbourhood Area Designation
A Consultation on an application for the amendment of the Marlborough Neighbourhood Area closed on 16 November 2020.
The Designation of Marlborough Neighbourhood Area was approved on 18 November 2020 in accordance with section 61G of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended for the purposes of Neighbourhood Planning and Part 2 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 as amended 2016. A copy of the decision notice including a map which identifies the area is available here.
Read the Minutes of the Steering Group Meetings
WELCOME TO OUR WEBSITE
INTRODUCTION
A Neighbourhood Plan is all about land: what we do with it, how we use it, how we protect it, what we play on it, how we manage it, how we look after it for the future.
Your Neighbourhood Plan will give our community a say on the type of development that takes place in Marlborough, Mildenhall and Savernake.
It’s framed by the 2011 Localism Act and put together by the community for the community and then approved through a referendum for local people. It could also influence affordable housing, local jobs, transport, the vitality of the High Street and the environment. It will also need to take into account surgery capacity, school places, other community facilities and infrastructure.
Our Neighbourhood Plan will run to 2036 and must be consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Wiltshire Local Plan (formerly the Wiltshire Core Strategy) and so provide for a balanced and sustainable approach to development in our Neighbourhood Plan area. It’s the only formal route for us all to be able to really influence the future shape of Marlborough and really holds weight in planning decisions.
CONTENT
The Marlborough Area Neighbourhood Plan will focus on:
Housing
Amenities (including parking)
Countryside & Recreation
Business & Employment
Design, Conservation & Heritage
These pages include maps, parish information, details of subject areas to be included in the plan, updates on progress, documents, reports, minutes of meetings and contact information.
Please let us know if you feel there's something missing.