Neighbourhood Plan Questionnaire
All residents of Keyston & Bythorn should have received a flyer through your letterbox with some information about the upcoming Neighbourhood Plan questionnaire.
Please remember to sign up for updates & news if you have not already done so HERE.
What is the purpose of this survey?
Following initial feedback from many of you at a total of four Open Days held in Bythorn & Keyston in January, this survey has been designed to gather more information on the views of all people who live, work and own property or businesses within Bythorn & Keyston.
Your feedback to this survey will help determine:
What factors define the character of Bythorn & Keyston, make the area an enjoyable place to live and should be preserved or enhanced
The current and future housing and business needs in Bythorn & Keyston
Your views on how any future developments would affect Bythorn & Keyston in terms of what developments would enhance the area and what may harm it
Any facilities the community may want to introduce, maintain or improve to benefit the quality of life of residents and business owners.
Your feedback will directly be used to support the creation of Neighbourhood Planning Policies which will be concise summaries of your collective views, needs and preferences relating to potential new developments and their impact on our local area. These Policies are the key part of the Neighbourhood Plan which planners will use when assessing any future planning applications in the area.
Note - we also include questions to get your views on other topics including road safety, provision of improved facilities in villages etc. As these are largely not directly planning issues, this information may not directly lead to Policies in the Neighbourhood Plan, but instead is valuable feedback for our Parish Council and HDC to ensure your views are heard when considering how to allocate funds and improve the local area.
Who should complete the survey?
Every member of your household (aged 17 years and over) is invited to complete this survey. This should include students who may live away from home in term time.
Please submit one completed survey per person.
I run a business, should I complete the survey?
If you run a business based in the area, please complete the first questions and answer yes to option 3 which will lead you to an additional set of business questions. If you own a business AND are a resident then please select option 4 which will take you to both the resident and business owner questions
Do I need to complete all questions?
Yes! Please complete all questions. For questions asking your opinion on multiple factors, please enter a single answer for each. For any questions which you prefer not to answer, have no strong opinion or simply don’t know, check the appropriate box before proceeding to the next question. Several questions have a free text area for you to provide extra detail if you would like. Adding information to the text box is optional in all cases.
What is the deadline for returning the survey?
The deadline is 5pm on Friday 3rd May 2024
What are the next steps after the survey?
The responses and data from the survey will be collated and analysed with your preferences and views determined and summarised. Using this analysis, formal Neighbourhood Planning policies will be drafted to reflect those views.
You will also have further opportunities to comment on drafts of the Plan and its policies through informal and formal consultation. After this, once a version of the Plan has been finalised, a referendum of all residents on the electoral register will be organised by HDC. This is likely to take place in 2025.
In the referendum, you will be asked to vote yes or no to whether you accept the plan the following question:
Do you want HDC to use the Bythorn & Keyston Neighbourhood Plan to decide planning applications in the Bythorn & Keyston area?
In order for the Bythorn & Keyston Neighbourhood Plan to be adopted, a YES must be recorded by at least 50% of those who have voted. If adopted, it will form part of HDC’s Local Plan and carry legal weight.
How will my views remain confidential?
Your personal details and personal responses will be treated as confidential, but when answering the free-text questions, please avoid saying anything that might personally identify you. Where appropriate, your unattributed comments may be used to help promote or support the Bythorn & Keyston Neighbourhood Plan.
Our privacy notice can be found on the Bythorn & Keyston Parish Council website HERE.
I have other questions or need help completing the survey, who can I speak to?
If you would like any help completing or returning the survey, please contact any member of the Bythorn & Keyston NP Team or email bythornkeystonnp@gmail.com