The Parish Council decided to prepare a neighbourhood plan in November 2017 with the encouragement of Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council to local communities across the Borough to prepare neighbourhood plans. The key driver of this decision was a sense of wanting to plan positively for the future of the village and the Parish as a whole.

​

The neighbourhood plan scope included meeting local housing need in such a way which also delivered wider community benefits. Due to the wider implications of providing more homes in a rural location this would be in the form of a Community Hub for the village. Community hubs are projects combining small local housing schemes for downsizers, entry-level, affordable and custom build with other community assets which might include: workspace, space for meeting/event/health drop in, a shop/delivery drop off service, café/licensed public bar, and electric vehicles and charging infrastructure for community energy groups/cooperatives.

​

Whilst the innovative work of the Burghclere Neighbourhood Plan was proceeding well, a planning application was submitted for 35 dwellings in the village on a site that was not allocated in the neighbourhood plan. The application was refused but went to appeal. Although there was a cumulative weight of adverse impacts outweighing the benefits of the scheme the high probability that the Burghclere Neighbourhood Plan would be derailed at the referendum stage and the effect such a decision would have on the future confidence of the parish in neighbourhood planning carried very significant weight and the appeal was dismissed.

​

Appeal decisions such as these should encourage neighbourhood plan groups that a positively prepared neighbourhood plan can, and should, still protect communities from speculative developments.