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Why does Seend need a new plan?
The Seend Parish Neighbourhood Plan 2020-2030 needs to be updated. The Government withdrew funding for neighbourhood plans and we now need to think about how we want our Parish to develop over the coming decades. We have a range of choices! We can let developers extract their profit from our valued adjoining green fields and build what they want - or we can use the voice of localism to let our local authority know what we need through adding our 'parish masterplan' to our existing and updated neighbourhood plan.
All over Wiltshire, we can see developers building poorly-designed housing on the smallest plots. Red bricked cookie-cutter boxes to three-soul-less stories with no vehicle parking and limited open green space adorned with token tree planting and landscaping. Our local authority has been unable to maintain a 5-year land supply and provide a renewed Local Development Plan. Our new plan failed inspection and its replacement will not be available to use until 2028. In Wiltshire, we have moved into an unwanted period of developer-led development instead of plan-led development. Our towns and villages are paying for that and we still have a housing shortage. Soaring rents, high house prices, lack of rental homes and 5,000 families on the Homes4Wiltshire waiting list. In Wiltshire, people are in danger of losing their community voices on community development issues. Here, below, is just one recent local example of the planning impact of that loss on our local town. We can see similar impacts across Wiltshire, from Aldbourne and Alderbury, to Holt and Worton.
Despite the continuing dismal setbacks, Neighbourhood Plans remain our best and only means of influencing how Seend's ageing community develops to meet our current and future needs. Your support is needed to make a new plan happen.
You can get involved simply by engaging in the forthcoming neighbourhood plan public consultations, helping the Seend Parish Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, and through supporting your CLT through membership and continuing engagement.
All over Wiltshire, we can see developers building poorly-designed housing on the smallest plots. Red bricked cookie-cutter boxes to three-soul-less stories with no vehicle parking and limited open green space adorned with token tree planting and landscaping. Our local authority has been unable to maintain a 5-year land supply and provide a renewed Local Development Plan. Our new plan failed inspection and its replacement will not be available to use until 2028. In Wiltshire, we have moved into an unwanted period of developer-led development instead of plan-led development. Our towns and villages are paying for that and we still have a housing shortage. Soaring rents, high house prices, lack of rental homes and 5,000 families on the Homes4Wiltshire waiting list. In Wiltshire, people are in danger of losing their community voices on community development issues. Here, below, is just one recent local example of the planning impact of that loss on our local town. We can see similar impacts across Wiltshire, from Aldbourne and Alderbury, to Holt and Worton.
Despite the continuing dismal setbacks, Neighbourhood Plans remain our best and only means of influencing how Seend's ageing community develops to meet our current and future needs. Your support is needed to make a new plan happen.
You can get involved simply by engaging in the forthcoming neighbourhood plan public consultations, helping the Seend Parish Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, and through supporting your CLT through membership and continuing engagement.
What has our CLT achieved?
Between the 2011 and 2021 UK National Censuses Seend lost 9 social and affordable homes (SAH), that was 15% of Seend's SAH housing stock. Through the support of a strong CLT membership, a supportive local landowner and Parish Council, partnering with a progressive not-for-profit White Horse Housing Association , Seend CLT replaced the SAH loss with modern passive energy standard homes with a low cost of occupation. This was through the 10-home development at Hook Hollow.
Across Wiltshire, five CLTs have live home building projects. Across England, more than 350 CLTs are using similar home building models. CLTs are not limited to home building and often run other projects, such as community shops, pubs, woodland and orchards. The CLT model is truly global.
Across Wiltshire, five CLTs have live home building projects. Across England, more than 350 CLTs are using similar home building models. CLTs are not limited to home building and often run other projects, such as community shops, pubs, woodland and orchards. The CLT model is truly global.
Community Consultation - opening a dialogue with our community voice
On Thursday 30th July 2026 our CLT opened a community consultation with both current CLT members and anyone else from our parish who wishes to engage with our future parish development possibilities. Over 117 people kindly gave their time an attended the presentation.
CLT member, Gerard Evenden, gave an opening presentation on ideas for improving the core area and community operated buildings of the village of Seend. Gerard also explained the possible methodologies for housing development that might change the way our parish develops in the future, through plan-led development reflecting the wishes of the Parish community, rather than being subject to developer-led, profit motivated development.
If you attended the presentation and would like to leave feedback on any aspect please use the link here to our contact form. Your feedback is valued and will usefully contribute to our important community dialogue. It will help the CLT and Seend Parish Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group with determining what next steps to take and what further options may be considered. All people living in our parish, including the future population, have a stake in the outcome of this consultative process. The points already raised in open forum were passionately made by the caring people who kindly took time to respond constructively. If you attended the meeting the CLT thanks you for your valued support. If you did not attend the meeting but would like to see Gerard's stimulating and thought-provoking presentation you may download the PDF file from the link below.
If you want to be kept informed please make sure the CLT has your correct contact email address.
CLT member, Gerard Evenden, gave an opening presentation on ideas for improving the core area and community operated buildings of the village of Seend. Gerard also explained the possible methodologies for housing development that might change the way our parish develops in the future, through plan-led development reflecting the wishes of the Parish community, rather than being subject to developer-led, profit motivated development.
If you attended the presentation and would like to leave feedback on any aspect please use the link here to our contact form. Your feedback is valued and will usefully contribute to our important community dialogue. It will help the CLT and Seend Parish Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group with determining what next steps to take and what further options may be considered. All people living in our parish, including the future population, have a stake in the outcome of this consultative process. The points already raised in open forum were passionately made by the caring people who kindly took time to respond constructively. If you attended the meeting the CLT thanks you for your valued support. If you did not attend the meeting but would like to see Gerard's stimulating and thought-provoking presentation you may download the PDF file from the link below.
If you want to be kept informed please make sure the CLT has your correct contact email address.
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Questions?
Q: What is wrong with our current Neighbourhood Plan, which is supposed to be valid from 2020 to 2030?
A: Our neighbourhood plan has served its intended purpose. Our six-year-old neighbourhood plan carried weight for the first 5 years of its life. Our ongoing national housing crisis is being addressed by our Government which means our plan has been overtaken by political decisions to introduce a range of changes to the UK's Planning Policy Framework. The changes affect the strength of our current plan policies and will also provide additional planning options that we, as a community, may wish to consider sooner rather than later.
Q: What gives the people of Seend the authority to influence how Seend develops and where new development goes?
A: The general authority for public participation in community development is contained in the Localism Act 2011. You can find the UK Government Plain English Guide to the Localism Act 2011 here on a CLT web page. Pages 12 and 13 describe the arrangements. Part 5 of the Act introduces the concept of Community Empowerment. Seend CLT is part of the community forum the Act refers to.
Q: Consultation publicity refers to a 'masterplan', what is the masterplan?
A: In this case, the parish masterplan is simply an initial visual representation of ideas that could be used to transform our community if we wish to adopt them. The intention is for the ideas offered as a discussion stimulus for community conversation, and that community feedback on the ideas informs the Seend Parish Neighbourhood Planning Group. There may be scope to include an agreed masterplan as a neighbourhood plan framework for future development.
Q: What about the increased housing numbers the media often mentions?
A: The recent Wiltshire Local Development Plan 2020 - 2038 was rejected by the Government planning inspectors. Put simply, housing numbers proposed in the plan were deemed insufficient to meet Government targets. This was not the only issue. Wiltshire Council has started work on a new local plan and has initiated a call for development sites.
Seend's large village strategic housing allocation is likely to increase. Ours will not be the only community that will see change. The Localism Act 2011 provides for us to have a say, through neighbourhood planning, on community development. We have lost a large proportion (17%) of our social homes in the parish. Locally, we have insufficient appropriate homes available for both young and old. The Government, particularly the Burnham-led Government is committed to doing something about both past housing losses, future home needs and devolving power to communities. As part of the neighbourhood planning process we need to determine what our actual local housing need is. This includes all types of housing across all types of tenure for the people living in our parish now and in the future. Wiltshire Council will help us with this.
A: Our neighbourhood plan has served its intended purpose. Our six-year-old neighbourhood plan carried weight for the first 5 years of its life. Our ongoing national housing crisis is being addressed by our Government which means our plan has been overtaken by political decisions to introduce a range of changes to the UK's Planning Policy Framework. The changes affect the strength of our current plan policies and will also provide additional planning options that we, as a community, may wish to consider sooner rather than later.
Q: What gives the people of Seend the authority to influence how Seend develops and where new development goes?
A: The general authority for public participation in community development is contained in the Localism Act 2011. You can find the UK Government Plain English Guide to the Localism Act 2011 here on a CLT web page. Pages 12 and 13 describe the arrangements. Part 5 of the Act introduces the concept of Community Empowerment. Seend CLT is part of the community forum the Act refers to.
Q: Consultation publicity refers to a 'masterplan', what is the masterplan?
A: In this case, the parish masterplan is simply an initial visual representation of ideas that could be used to transform our community if we wish to adopt them. The intention is for the ideas offered as a discussion stimulus for community conversation, and that community feedback on the ideas informs the Seend Parish Neighbourhood Planning Group. There may be scope to include an agreed masterplan as a neighbourhood plan framework for future development.
Q: What about the increased housing numbers the media often mentions?
A: The recent Wiltshire Local Development Plan 2020 - 2038 was rejected by the Government planning inspectors. Put simply, housing numbers proposed in the plan were deemed insufficient to meet Government targets. This was not the only issue. Wiltshire Council has started work on a new local plan and has initiated a call for development sites.
Seend's large village strategic housing allocation is likely to increase. Ours will not be the only community that will see change. The Localism Act 2011 provides for us to have a say, through neighbourhood planning, on community development. We have lost a large proportion (17%) of our social homes in the parish. Locally, we have insufficient appropriate homes available for both young and old. The Government, particularly the Burnham-led Government is committed to doing something about both past housing losses, future home needs and devolving power to communities. As part of the neighbourhood planning process we need to determine what our actual local housing need is. This includes all types of housing across all types of tenure for the people living in our parish now and in the future. Wiltshire Council will help us with this.