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What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
Neighbourhood Plans (NP) were introduced in 2011, they empower communities to shape the development and growth of a local area. An NP is a document that sets out planning policies for our area and can:
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Protect local green spaces;
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Encourage better designed places;
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Bring forward housing that genuinely meets local needs.
It’s written by the local community and helps get the right types of development, in the right place.
Once a Neighbourhood Plan is 'made' (or adopted) it has the same weight and strength as the Wiltshire Local Plan.
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Why has the Plan been reviewed?
The first edition of the Calne Community Neighbourhood Plan (CCNP) is dated to 2026. By updating to a second edition of the Plan, we can ensure the community can still influence planning decisions. You can download the first CCNP on the Plan documents page. Since we made our last plan there has been a lot of learning about how to get the most out of having one and so the new one will be stronger and be even more effective.
What is the status of CCNP2?
A referendum took place on 27th February 2025. A majority of voters (92.4%) voted yes to the question "Do you want Wiltshire Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Calne and Calne Without to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?". The plan is now 'made' and will be used in assessing all planning decisions in the plan area.
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Who was involved in the Plan review?
There was a group of about 15 local people from different walks of life and with different experiences and skill sets involved in leading the plan review and being members of the Steering Group. Some of the group are local councillors who also have the role of updating Calne Town Council and Calne Without Parish Council. All steering group meetings have been minuted and can be found on the Calne Town Council website.
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How has the community been consulted and engaged?
As well as the Steering Group, there have been many opportunities for local people to give their views on a range of subjects and the feedback is incorporated into the plan. A detailed account of how the Plan making process consulted and engaged the community, landowners and statutory stakeholders was submitted together with the Plan for examination. You can download the Consultation Statement on the Plan Documents page.
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Who paid for the Plan?
Government grant funding was used and supplemented by Calne Town and Calne Without Parish Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding. Wiltshire Council provides technical advice and practical support, as well as paying for examination and referendum.
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What happens to the plan when Calne Without Parish no longer exists?
The parish councils that are taking over from Calne Without Parish will take on responsibility for using the plan in the places covered by it. Exactly how that will work is currently being decided by representatives of all the affected parishes at a series of meetings.
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Will CCNP2 stop more houses being built?
A neighbourhood plan can’t stop new housing but with one, we, the community:
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Have a say on where they are built
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Have a say on the type and size of building
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Have a say on what development looks like and
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Have a say on what community benefits have to be provided.
​Wiltshire Council have allocated more land for housing and employment in the forth coming Local Plan. This is as required by the government in order to plan for sustainable development. You can find out more about that Plan by clicking this link.
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I own a building that may be included in the Plan as a Local Heritage Asset. What are the implications of that?
We've had a few questions from landowners as we've done informal and formal consultation on this topic and we've put together a Q&A specifically on this. Click here to read it.
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Local Green Spaces are designated in the Plan; does that mean we have right of access?
There are 27 New Local Green Spaces. These include the wider area of the Castlefields Country Park, Lavender Drive, play areas and allotments throughout the plan area. Local Green Space designation is a way to provide special protection against development for green areas of particular importance to local communities. Designation does not in itself confer any rights of public access over what exists at present. Any additional access would be a matter for separate negotiation with land owners, whose legal rights must be respected.
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Does a Neighbourhood Plan bring financial benefits?
The Neighbourhood Plan also delivers 25% of the Community Infrastructure Levy directly to our area which has funded projects including provision of defibrillators, road safety measures like the new 40mph speed limit at Studley Crossroads, improvements to play areas and support for local primary school libraries.
Recent planning appeals had led to granting of planning permission that many in our community have felt frustrated about. What weight is given to the Neighbourhood Plan in planning decisions?
The Neighbourhood Plan is used together with the Wiltshire Core Strategy and must be taken into account when determining a planning application, in so far as the policies in the plan are material to the application.
In Wiltshire however, the Council cannot currently demonstrate a five year supply (or pipeline) of housing at different stages of build out, therefore national planning policy, rather than policies in a Local plan have greater influence in decision making. National policy states there should be a “presumption in favour of sustainable development” for housing. This means that if a site can be considered to deliver ‘sustainable development’ then planning permission could be granted, even if there is no support from the council for housing in that location or the site sits outside the Neighbourhood Plan.
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