"Why we were keen to prepare a Village Design Statement"

It was an opportunity to establish a consensus description of the visual character of the villages which we all want to sustain - not frozen in time but maintaining the essential elements of the character as it develops. It's about the shape of the village and its building styles and how these relate to the broader landscape.

A Village Design Statement carries weight because it's researched and written by people who live in and know the village, not by anonymous planners or consultants. The more people actively involved in its preparation, the more influence it will have.

A Working Group was formed, with the backing of the Parish Council, and set about organising an event in March 2019. All residents were invited to identify exactly what makes the Parish distinctive in their eyes, and through a camera lens. This formed the basis for preparing the Design Statement. When complete it was submitted to TVBC for formal endorsement.

 

 

If you are interested in finding out more about Village Design Statements and the process around their creation the links below may be helpful.

• Test Valley Borough Council Village Design Statement web site
• Vernham Dean Village Design Statement (pdf)
• Longparish Village Design Statement (pdf)
• St Mary Bourne Village design Statement (pdf)
• TVBC Village Design Statement Planning Guidance Note (pdf)
• Natural England - Village Design Guidance Part 1 (pdf)
• Natural England - Village Design Guidance Part 2 (pdf)