The referendum on the Corby Glen Neighbourhood Plan took place on Thursday, January 18th 2024 and 92.5% of those who voted were in favour of the Plan.
The Corby Glen Neighbourhood Plan was considered at SKDC’s Full Council meeting on 29th February 2024 and it was concluded that all the necessary conditions for making the Plan part of the Statutory Development Plan for South Kesteven had been met.
The final “Made” version of the Neighbourhood Plan can be viewed from the following link:
The supporting background documents are available from the following links:
Non-designated assets, Open and Green Spaces document
Further information is available on SKDC’s website:
https://www.southkesteven.gov.uk/planning-building-control/planning-policy-local-plans/corby-glen.
We would like to acknowledge the support of all the residents who, in various ways, contributed to the successful completion of our Neighbourhood Plan and thereby helped shape the future development of our village.
Corby Glen Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee and Parish Council, March 2024
News from the Neighbourhood Plan Group (January 2025)
Our Neighbourhood Plan Group was set up in 2018, under the auspices of the Parish Council, and tasked with producing a Neighbourhood Plan for Corby Glen. The Neighbourhood Plan was finally adopted in 2024, following a referendum, and it is available on the village website (click on Neighbourhood Plan in the Parish Council section). The Group has an ongoing role in updating the Neighbourhood Plan so that it remains consistent with other planning documents, especially future versions of South Kesteven’s Local Plan.
Responding to revision of South Kesteven’s Local Plan
Each local authority is required to have in place a “Local Plan” that contains a range of planning strategy and policies, including house building targets, which must meet the numbers set out in the central government’s housing policy. To meet these targets, the Local Plan contains proposed housing allocations for each large village and town in South Kesteven.
South Kesteven District Council is currently undertaking a review of its Local Plan and a draft version the new Plan, spanning 2026-2036, has recently been published. This shows that Corby Glen has been allocated 144 new houses, to be built on land north of the Bourne Road. Details of the allocation, including a map of the proposed site, can be viewed in the document “Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan” available on South Kesteven’s website. The section on Corby Glen is on page 203-206.
The new Local Plan has already undergone one round of consultation and the Neighbourhood Plan Group has submitted comments. Whilst we recognise the national pressure on housing, our view is that Corby Glen has already undergone considerable expansion in the last few years and needs time to adjust before there is a further increase in the size of the village. We will find out whether this has been taken note of when the next version of the Local Plan is published. This will be the so-called “pre-submission version” and is due in the first quarter of 2025.
It is worth adding that the government is currently revising its national house-building targets, and some commentators have suggested this will result in an uplift of 20-30% in the overall target for South Kesteven. Presumably, the next version of the Local Plan will need to reflect this uplift.
So, in summary, the Neighbourhood Plan Group is awaiting publication of the pre-submission version of South Kesteven’s new Local Plan. When this is released for consultation, we will seek widespread views across the community and, working with the Parish Council, we will respond accordingly.
Engaging with the production of a Design Code for new housing in South Kesteven
South Kesteven District Council have been allocated funds to develop a “Design Code” which would define the design of new houses that are built in our local towns and villages.
The Design Code will be incorporated into the Local Plan, and house builders will be required to show they have complied with the code when submitting planning applications.
Currently a widespread consultation is being undertaken to obtain views on the content of the Design Code. Details of the Design Code project (including how to provide comments) are available on South Kesteven’s website
Two members of the Neighbourhood Plan Group attended a workshop in early December that was set up to raise awareness of the project and receive comments and suggestions. The majority of those attending supported the introduction of a Design Code, citing various shortcomings in the design of new housing developments in their villages. Below are some specific points that were raised at the workshop:
There is a tendency for all new developments to look the same. There needs to be a sense of specialness by adding features that uniquely reflect the local character of the village/town.
The Code should not just be restricted to the design of individual houses, but cover wider aspects e.g. street layout, communication links, and sustainability.
The range of house types and their design must cater for all types of households, including the elderly.
The Design Code needs to be forward thinking and consider future sustainability, climate change, and advances in digital technology.
