A Neighbourhood Plan for Pembury
Update September 2023
Pembury Neighbourhood Plan is adopted!
Following on from the referendum, more than 50% of the votes were in favour of the Neighbourhood Development Plan. Therefore the plan will be adopted and used shortly. Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote.
Pembury Neighbourhood Plan – final version
Update July 2023
Following on from the successful examination of the Plan, the NDP will be going to local referendum on Thursday 14 September 2023. Every resident on the electoral roll within the parish (the neighbourhood area) is entitled to vote in the referendum, which will ask:
Do you want Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Pembury to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?
The referendum will be conducted based in accordance with procedures similar to those used at local government elections.
The neighbourhood plan has been the culmination of a number of years of work and the dedicated input from local residents. It is a really important document that will influence land-use and development in our parish, sitting alongside the Tunbridge Wells Local Plan. We strongly encourage you to take part in the referendum.
Paper copies of the NDP can be viewed at the following locations during their advertised opening hours:
- Parish Council offices – open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10am to 1pm – no appointment required
- Town Hall, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RS. Please email neighbourhoodplans@tunbridgewells.gov.uk to arrange an appointment
- Pembury Library
- Black Horse Pub
- King William Pub
- Downingbury Farm
Copies can also be viewed here:
- Pembury Neighbourhood Plan
- Design Guidance & Codes
- Examiners final report
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Decision Statement
- Parish Map
Counting observers
If you would like to attend a Neighbourhood Planning Referendum count, you will first need to make an application to be a Counting Observer. All applications must be received by the Counting Officer six working days before polling day.
Further Information
For further information about the Referendum, please visit the TWBC website.
Update February 2023
The Neighbourhood Plan is currently being examined by our Independent Examiner, John Slater. He has sent a letter with his initial enquiries.
Update December 2022
Following on from our public consultation earlier this summer, the Pembury Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group carefully considered all of the comments received on the draft document. We received a great number of comments, both from members of the community and other organisations such as Southern Water, Historic England and The Environment Agency. The Parish Council is very grateful for the time people have taken to share their views.
The Pembury Neighbourhood Plan has been updated to take account of the suggested amendments and improvements and the so-called Submission Version Neighbourhood Plan has been formally submitted to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council who are now consulting on the new Plan. Details and how to comment can be found on our Regulation 16 – Public Consultation page. Please note the deadline for comments is 30 January 2023.
The second round of consultation will be an opportunity for you to comment again on the Plan. All comments will be collated by the Borough Council, who will send the documents and the comments directly to the Independent Examiner who will reviewing the document to make sure that it complies with national planning legislation. Assuming the examination is successful, we anticipate the referendum on the Neighbourhood Plan taking place next year in early summer.
If you would like to be kept informed about progress on the Neighbourhood Plan, please join our mailing list by emailing: ndp@pemburyparishcouncil.gov.uk
Regulation 14 – Public Consultation Page – this consultation is now closed.
Meeting minutes and useful resources
Pembury Parish Council is in the process of developing a Neighbourhood Plan for the village and wider Parish.
A Neighbourhood Plan is a document that contains planning policies that will be used to guide how we want our parish to develop over the next 15 to 20 years.
The Plan is our chance to have a real say in what happens in Pembury in the future.
At the moment, planning applications in Pembury are decided upon by members of the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Planning Committee, who are guided by the policies contained in the Tunbridge Wells Local Plan. The Pembury Neighbourhood Plan will include much more local detail to help make decisions that benefit the parish.
Tunbridge Well’s current Local Plan was adopted in 2006 and is therefore quite dated. The Borough Council is writing a new Local Plan and you can see the draft here. Our Neighbourhood Plan will sit alongside the Local Plan and both will be used to determine planning applications.
Local Plan
TWBC are currently preparing the Local Plan for development in the borough to 2036. for details please check our Local Plan web page with more details.
Neighbourhood Plan
The Neighbourhood Plan covers the whole of Pembury Parish, as shown in the map below.
What is a neighbourhood plan?
Neighbourhood Plans were introduced in the 2011 Localism Act to encourage local people to get more involved in planning the future of their towns and villages. They are documents that set out planning policies for the local area, against which planning applications will be considered.
Neighbourhood Plans can also set out where land and buildings that are special to the community can be safeguarded for future generations.
As it is a formal document, the Neighbourhood Plan has to undergo a fairly vigorous process in order to be ‘made’. This includes two rounds of formal consultation with the local community, an independent Examination and finally a local referendum.
If it is able to pass all of these stages, it will sit alongside the Tunbridge Wells Local Plan and carry equal weight in decision-making.
Who is leading on the work?
Pembury Parish Council is the formal lead for the Neighbourhood Plan, however, it is important that the project is community led.
Therefore, the project is being managed by a Steering Group comprising local volunteers from the parish.
In addition we have set up some Working Groups, who are exploring different topics and you can find out more about these below.
What can the Neighbourhood Plan do?
The Neighbourhood Plan can cover many different topics – depending on what we think is important locally. Our Working Groups are going to be exploring the following themes:
Housing:
The emerging Local Plan for Tunbridge Wells has to deliver a certain amount of homes across the Borough and some sites have been identified in Pembury. We cannot stop development happening – especially if it is included in the Local Plan – but we can have a say in the sort of housing being allocated – is it affordable? Is it meeting the needs of our local community?
Character, heritage and design:
We want to make sure that new development is in-keeping with the local character and is designed to the highest standards – including ensuring it is environmentally friendly and reduces energy-consumption. We also want to celebrate our heritage.
The Village Centre and the wider economy:
Our village centre provides a focal point for a range of local activities and we need to consider how we can make sure it stays vibrant and well-used – especially given the impacts of Covid-19. Equally, the way people are working is evolving and we might want to think about how we can support jobs locally and greater levels of home-working.
Environment and green spaces:
We are fortunate to have many green spaces within our parish including the Village Green, the recreation grounds and allotments. We have an opportunity in our Neighbourhood Plan to protect such spaces from inappropriate development by designating them as ‘Local Green Spaces’. We also might consider how to mitigate climate change and include a range of policies to help achieve this, such as promoting sustainable design, encouraging allotments and self-sufficiency.
Transport and movement:
We can consider how to make it easier for residents and visitors to walk and cycle to within the village and to the surrounding areas. Our policies will ensure that our rights of way are well-maintained and accessible to all.
Community assets and infrastructure:
The community facilities we have provide an important lifeline not only for our community but for those in neighbouring villages and it is vital that they are safeguarded, improved and, where necessary, expanded to meet the changing needs of our residents. We support additional facilities for children and teenagers and the provision of community halls and cultural venues.
How long will the Neighbourhood Plan take to write?
It is difficult to estimate how long it might take for the Plan to be written, but we anticipate the work being completed over 2021.
How can I get involved?
We are keen for as many people to get involved as possible and we will be engaging the community as the Plan progresses. If you would like to learn more about the Working Groups or have any feedback, please contact us at ndp@pemburyparishcouncil.gov.uk or get in touch using the form below:
Please also check back as we will be running events and activities as the Working Groups make headway with their topics.
