At ONH, we often talk about the advantages of neighbourhood plans in delivering vital infrastructure that communities need. The greatest impact can be achieved where communities are proactive in managing their neighbourhood plans after they have been made, working with all parties to ensure that community infrastructure is delivered and design codes are followed.
Benson: need for a village relief road
Benson, a village in South Oxfordshire, has exemplified this approach. ONH were invited to join the project team during the preparation of their 2018- Neighbourhood Plan. ONH's role was to tackle one specific problem. How could the village secure a relief road and alleviate traffic problems in the village centre that were impacting on residents everyday life? Benson had particular transportation issues. It is located close to both the city of Oxford and a motorway, at the junction of the A4074 Oxford to Reading road and the B4009 which links the village to the M40 to the east. The need for a relief road had been identified by the Local Authority, but no funding allocated.
Speculative development
As a large village with an existing population under 5,000, the expectations from the Local Planning Authority for growth and development were modest. Yet, Benson's position pinned between an area of outstanding natural beauty and Oxford's green belt, and a strong local community offer, meant the potential for unplanned speculative development was high. Here, a badly planned speculative development could stimy plans for the relief road, or worsen rather than alleviate the traffic problem.
ONH delivered a Strategic Environmental Site Assessment
ONH began a strategic environmental site assessment (SEA), considering all of the potential growth options for the village. What would happen if the village grew to the South, West or North? Would these expansions help or hinder the communities aspirations for the future of the village?

After extensive analysis it was decided that the Northern approach offered the best impact on the community. New homes, and a relief road, enabled as part of the design of each new development on the route. How did this fit in with the dwelling requirement number set down by the LPA? This figure was relatively low - a core strategy site plus a 15% requirement for additional housing. This would have led to a figure of around 338. Instead the plan allocated 559 homes.
Do neighbourhood plans deliver results?
The question is: has it worked? Absolutely - just a few short years later, we can see the progress on the ground. Benson has since reviewed its Neighbourhood Plan, with the revision adopted as part of South Oxfordshire District Council’s development plan on 14 March 2023. In this revision the neighbourhood plan confirms that the allocations have been successful with all in some stage of development and with planning permission approved within 4 years of the original neighbourhood plans adoption in 2019 and construction begun on two of the three sites.
What steps are needed between neighbourhood plan and successful project?
While the answer to this depends on the vision and objectives of the neighbourhood plan in question, in all cases there is a clear need to stay focused on those goals after a plan is made. If successful and appropriate development is required to unlock infrastructure, then good quality planning representations on applications for those sites are important.
What about when the aim is to secure new council assets for the community?
If the infrastructure is due to become part of a town or parish council's remit - perhaps a new leisure centre, park or community facility, then steps should be taken as early as possible to review the council's asset management. Commissioning work assessing a Council's estate can be a valuable strategic exercise. Will adding this new facility change the area? How will people move around the community to access these facilities? Are the different functions of the facilities sited in the best locations? Are s106 (or CIL) receipts being used as efficiently as possible?
Community planning can take many forms. If you need help identifying which approach is best suited to fulfilling your communities needs, we are happy to discuss this with you, please do contact us.
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