Wicken Neighbourhood Plan

A map of the designated Neighbourhood Plan Area is on page 2. To help shape the plan’s direction, we invite you and your household to complete the attached questionnaire and share your views.

What is a neighbourhood plan?

A Neighbourhood Plan gives local communities a say in how their area develops. Covering at least a 10-year period, it enables residents to:

• Create a shared vision for the Parish
• Decide where new housing and other developments should be located
• Influence the type and style of development
• Identify and protect valued green spaces and community assets

Why do we need one?

District Councils must maintain up-to-date Local Plans to guide development and conservation. East Cambridgeshire’s current Local Plan is 10 years old and lacks clear guidance on long-term housing growth, making the Parish vulnerable to speculative development.

By creating a Neighbourhood Plan, we can influence where future development should or shouldn’t occur and highlight areas that deserve protection or improvement. With expected housing growth over the next 15 years in line with the government's housing growth, the Plan offers a chance to shape this change rather than have decisions made without local input.

Once adopted, the Neighbourhood Plan must be considered by the District Council (or whatever unitary authority emerges), when deciding on planning applications, alongside the Local Plan and national policy.

A Working Group of residents and councillors is helping to prepare the Plan. Many of you shared ideas at our open day in March. Based on that feedback, we are now seeking your views on specific topics to include in the Plan.

Completing the survey

Please return the completed survey (attached) to the collection box at Wicken Village Hall or the following addresses in Wicken:

• 4 Butts Lane
• 42 Chapel Lane
• 26 Church Road
• Paddock House, 6a Lower Road

Alternatively, you can complete it online at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Wicken-Survey.