Neighbourhood Planning
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I’m pleased to share an update on the progress of the Royal Wootton Bassett Neighbourhood Plan Review.
After several years of work, the draft Neighbourhood Plan was published for public consultation between 29 September and 23 November 2025. During this time, we held a webinar, plus a number of in-person consultation events, and received around 80 responses from residents, both online and in writing.
We also heard from a range of statutory consultees, including Wiltshire Council, Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, public utilities, and other interested parties such as landowners connected to proposed local green spaces, non-designated heritage assets and potential housing sites.
Some residents raised concerns, particularly around potential population growth impact on the town and community. These included worries about increased traffic, pressure on schools and medical services, and possible changes to the character of the town.
However, the consultation also showed strong support for the draft Neighbourhood Plan. Many respondents welcomed the Plan’s vision and objectives, especially its focus on sustainability and its response to the climate emergency. Others felt the vision set out would benefit future generations and were pleased to see the historic character of the town placed at the heart of the Plan.
The latest news on the examination of the Wiltshire Local Plan is it has been delayed while inspectors carry out further consideration. The Local Plan is important as it sets out the county-wide rules about where and how much development should happen, and Neighbourhood Plans must follow the Local Plan. At present, the timescale for completing that examination process is unclear, but this should not prevent progress on our Neighbourhood Plan.
What happens next?
All the comments received during this consultation will be carefully reviewed, and the draft Neighbourhood Plan will be updated where necessary. The final draft, along with its supporting documents, will then be submitted to Wiltshire Council.
Wiltshire Council will carry out a further six-week consultation, known as Regulation 16, after which the Plan will be examined by an Independent Examiner. Once any required changes are made, the Plan will move to a local referendum. If a majority of residents vote ‘yes’, the Neighbourhood Plan will be formally adopted by Wiltshire Council and will become part of the statutory development plan for the area.
Although this has been a long process, we are now in the final stages and are moving closer to having an up-to-date Neighbourhood Plan in place.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to the consultation, to the councillors and volunteers involved, to council staff for their continued hard work, and to our consultants DLP for their guidance and support over the past few years.
The draft Neighbourhood Plan can be viewed on this website, as well as an accessible version.
Councillor Steve Walls (Chair of Neighbourhood Plan Working Group)
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