Latest Updates

Consultation Update

A huge thank you to all who have filled out ​our questionnaire​ so far, but we are still keen to have views from those who haven’t.
The Neighbourhood Plan is the best way to preserve and enhance our green spaces especially the land by Hollies Wood, Dordon Wood, and the Meaningful Gap (Straight Fields). Please let us know what you think.

Our Consultation starts
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​It’s time to let us know what you think of our Neighbourhood Plan! We have an online questionnaire and plan face to face events. If you know of anyone who would prefer a paper copy to fill in, please let us know. Consultation ends on 27th November.

Photo courtesy of Janet Wiggall

A Letter from the Chair

​Dordon Neighbourhood Plan
 
Sadly, we find ourselves having to promote a plan that none of our group wanted to have to put forward. On 23rd September 2021, North Warwickshire Borough Council approved their Local Plan which means what is now site H4, previously H7, will go ahead despite over 2,000 written objections being made by people in Dordon and Polesworth.
Interestingly, for each objection it is now confirmed that we will get a house built, 2,000 minimum new builds in H4, two-thirds of which are in Dordon.
So now this village is about to go through the biggest change in its history and all within the next 9 to 10 years.
Not wishing to get involved in the politics of this decision, we as a Parish Council, are stuck with it and regrettably we can only make the best of what a lot of residents consider to be a very bad deal.
It is with this in mind and the fact we must comply with the Local Plan of the Borough Council that our Neighbourhood plan has to be viewed. The battle of these new builds is now over, and we must now secure what is best for Dordon. With such a massive development in our Parish and Neighbouring Polesworth, it is inevitable that changes will be viewed by some locals as to the detriment of their village where they grew up and call home.
However, change is coming and there is nothing else to be done but to try and protect as much as we can of our green and rural village which is now classed as a “market town with Polesworth” Not all will be doom and gloom as some good infrastructure must come with this.
Our neighbourhood plan, which we considered, took nearly two years to put together and it is hoped that everyone in Dordon will find it to be a glimpse into the future and how some basic improvements can be achieved which will enhance the area.
A relief road to take the pressure off Long Street is essential and a new rerouted A5 (eventually), is a must.  Schools, a new village shopping centre, parks, open green spaces, walkways and cycle routes are also very high up on the list of what we must achieve.
Preserving what is good, including heritage and green field open spaces are also what this plan hopes to achieve.
I would like to thank Helen Metcalfe our consultant planner who has been invaluable helping our working group bring together what we hope to be a successful neighbourhood plan.
I would also like to thank all members of the committee who gave up their time for free and put countless hours into working to achieve our goals. Our team consisted of John Winter, Mark Doggett, Bev Garratt, Byron Melia, Donna Watts and Davina Ridley.
Special mention must be given to Bob Kind who began the journey with us but unfortunately could not be here at the end.
The Dordon Neighbourhood plan has been discussed with Polesworth Parish Council, North Warwickshire Borough Council and landowners agents’. We hope it provides the basis of a way forward for all parties to make Dordon a great place to live in the future.
 
 
 Steve Ridley
 Dordon Neighbourhood Plan Working Group

Here is our Neighbourhood Plan!

At last! After two years of work and consultation, our very large plan is ready for you to read! We have also produced a guide to the plan called the “Neighbourhood Plan in a Nutshell” explaining the 15 policies we are proposing. We will keep you up to date with what’s going on and how you can have your say.
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​Click here to see the full 100 page Neighbourhood Plan...

...or click here to see the much shorter “Neighbourhood Plan in a Nutshell”...

Further details on the dedicated Neighbourhood Plan Website!

​To see aerial views and videos of the H4 and Meaningful Gap locations, visit our Dordon from above page.

Neighbourhood Plan Consultation!

Exciting News!!
Our Neighbourhood Plan Consultation starts on 15th October!
You will be able to read our plan and fill in a very small questionnaire online or come to our face-to-face events.
More details to follow soon!

North Warwickshire Local Plan

The Local Plan for North Warwickshire has now been adopted by the Borough Council. Click here to read more.
One thing to note is that the area originally designated "H7" is now called "H4". 
Below is a map of the "H4" area earmarked for housing development in the newly adopted Local Plan.

The Neighbourhood Plan group are meeting in response, and our published Neighbourhood Plan will reflect these latest developments. As we have said below, it is vital that our own plan is in place to influence the proposed developments.
Carry on reading below to find out more about why we have written a Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish.

The Local Plan and Local Heritage Report

Just in case you have missed appendix AD/1 of North Warwickshire’s Local Plan documents it is reproduced here. This Appendix covers a survey carried out by professionals at LUC looking at what heritage assets we have in our area and how they could be affected by the new build.
Section 5 of the report deals with Dordon and Polesworth and is well worth a look.
One of the Grade II listed features that will be affected by the new build is the obelisk and its surroundings.
The obelisk was erected by Sir George Chetwynd in the 19th Century after work on the railway had uncovered graves associated with the chapel of St Leonard at Hoo. The chapel itself was commissioned by Roger de Grendon in the 1100’s and was later given to Polesworth Abbey. The chapel had two priests living there so presumably there would be archaeological evidence of dwellings as well as the chapel and graveyard. The chapel was demolished in 1538 in the time of Henry VIII. At that time, the Priests were being paid £10 a year! For more information about the Hoo Obelisk, Margaret Henley has written a great article on “Visit Polesworth”. Although now in Polesworth Parish we know that in the 18th Century this area was classed as Dordon. Although the Obelisk is not on the original site of the chapel the whole area is sensitive as it is also very likely the site of an Iron Age Hillfort.

The Hoo Obelisk

Inscription on the Monument

​Another historically sensitive area is the surroundings of Dordon Hall. The survey reports that not only will part of the original gardens be affected by the new build but also the surroundings to the east where some of the farm buildings date back to the 17th Century.

1850 tithe map showing Dordon Hall (125a) with the farm buildings to the North-East.

Farm buildings including the Cart Shed of 1854 with small dog kennel below the steps.

​The survey records the site of cottages surrounding Hollies Wood which can be seen on the 1850’s Tithe Map.

1850’s tithe map showing a cottage at nos. 80, 105 and 110.

There is a lot of valuable information in the report, so it is well worth a look!

​The survey results are ready!

Visit the dedicated Dordon Neighbourhood Plan website, to see the latest:

• Consultation documents - especially the summary of results from the Online Survey!
• Dordon Housing Needs Assessment
• Additional documents from 2016 workshops

 

What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

• A Neighbourhood plan gives our community a say in the development and growth of our local area.
• It allows us to set out what is important for us in our Parish.
• It gives us a way to influence new developments, while protecting and enhancing what is already here.
• For more detailed information about Neighbourhood Planning, click here to go to the gov.uk Neighbourhood Planning website.

Why now?

• Dordon Parish Council has objected strongly to the large-scale development proposed for this area.
• However we realised that if it did go ahead, we wanted to have as much say as possible.
• Over the last two years, our Neighbourhood Plan team have been working with experts to produce a plan which would meet Dordon's needs.
• Dordon is a large parish, including: the hamlet of Freasley, a large industrial development south of the A5, and also the proposed site for 2,000+ houses - so the plan needs to address the future of the WHOLE parish.

How far have we got?

• We have carried out two paper consultations, as well as two online surveys, to find out what is important for the people of Dordon.
• We have taken your views onboard, and have worked closely with planning experts to produce a comprehensive Neighbourhood Plan.
• The plan should soon be ready for publication, in time to influence any large-scale developments that may go ahead.
• Once the plan is published, there will be a referendum where everyone living in the parish will be able to vote on whether the plan is adopted.

Many thanks to the children of Dordon Primary School, who have provided us with lots of lovely artwork for our neighbourhood plan!