What is our Neighbourhood Plan, and why do we need one?
The 2011 Localism Act brought in the right for local communities, through their town and parish councils, to shape their future development by preparing their own Neighbourhood Plans, and shaping how this area is developed in the next 15 years.
It is a community-led process, drawn up by consultation with all groups, organisations and people in the parish. It must reflect the wishes of our residents for future development of the whole parish; not just housing, but also other vital considerations including education, recreation, employment, communications, transport, sustainability and environmental issues for example.
There are formal consultation phases and an independent examination of our Plan to ensure that it is legally watertight and takes account of wider policy considerations (e.g. national policy). Once it has been approved it will be put to a referendum in the community; these Neighbourhood Development Plans will only take effect if there is a majority of support.

The various stages that have led to our final Neighbourhood Plan ;
- The land within the parish boundary has been identified and registered as our ‘neighbourhood’ ; our neighbourhood plan area.
- Following several Consultations, two surveys to assess Affordable Housing needs, a new national ruling on the status of the AONB, and a concentrated period of advice from approved planning consultants, our Draft Plan has been updated many times.
- At the latter end of 2019 and January 2020 – more assessments, and advice from our approved planning consultant to ensure that all wording and policies comply with planning law, and are in accord with the overall South Hams District Council Plan (This is contained within the The Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan and was adopted by South Hams District Council on 21 March 2019.)
- Then came the Pandemic, and Lockdown. The Draft had been lodged with SHDC, but there were inevitable delays in scrutinising the plan, and one or two necessary alterations, but eventually, in July the official independant examiner was able to assess the final Draft, and recommend acceptance!
Latest news – download our Neighbourhood Plan!

August 2020
The completed Draft was submitted to South Hams District Council’s independant examiner who scrutinised it thoroughly, and finally accepted it at the end of July.
This meant that at the August parish council meeting, councilors could vote unanimously to adopt our Neighbourhood Plan so that the policies it contains now give our parish a say in future planning here until 2034.
Once Covid-19 restrictions are over, and we are allowed to hold a referendum, parishioners will be invited to vote to accept the Plan, but in the meantime, this adopted version still carries full weight when planning decisions are made. Thank you all for all your input – it’s your Plan now!
Aveton Gifford NP Regulation 15 Submission
Supporting information
TERMS OF REFERENCE dtd 17.6.19 282.79 KB 886 downloads
Terms of Reference, AGNP Steering GroupSites for consideration 3.48 MB 817 downloads
Map showing the 12 sites that were initially put forward for assessmentAveton Gifford NP site assessment_v0.1_140317 4.74 MB 807 downloads
Aveton Gifford Site Assesment reportAppendix A – Consultation 1 responses 834.37 KB 715 downloads
Public Consultation 1 – responsesAppendix B – Consultation 2 responses Sites 621.82 KB 672 downloads
Public Consultation 2 – responses19.10.03 AGNP Reg14 SHDC comments and NP response 528.47 KB 578 downloads
AGNP consultation response from SHDC for Regulation 1419.10.08 AGNP – Responses to Reg 14 Consultation 85.40 KB 552 downloads
AGNP responses from Statutory Consultees for Regulation 1419.04.09 AGNP Statement of Consultation v2 1.38 MB 578 downloads
AGNP Statement of Consultation for Regulation 1519.10.08 AGNP choice of development sites evidence paper 73.74 KB 602 downloads
AGNP Evidence paper for Regulation 1519.11.06 AGNP Basic Conditions Statement 204.67 KB 618 downloads
AGNP Basic Conditions Statement for Regulation 15;19.04.09 AGNP Monitoring Framework 67.29 KB 623 downloads
AGNP Monitoring Framework for Regulation 16Aveton Gifford NP SEA Environmental Report_V1.0_091019 2.60 MB 754 downloads
Strategic Environmental Assessment for AGNPThere are 3 further letters which, because of the restrictions imposed by Data Protection, are not published here, but which are available to be read by contacting Sarah Harcus or David Davis Berry directly.