Old Basing and Lychpit Neighbourhood Plan Review
The Challenge
Old Basing and Lychpit Parish Council needed to update its neighbourhood plan, which was made in 2018, so it could continue to guide development across the parish to 2042. The area combines the historic village of Old Basing, established residential areas in Lychpit and a valued rural landscape on the edge of Basingstoke. Changes in national planning policy, emerging local planning policy and development pressures meant that the existing policies needed a thorough review. The challenge was to support appropriate development while responding to residents’ concerns about local character, traffic, heritage, green spaces and the River Loddon. The review also needed to turn those priorities into clear, evidence-based planning policies that could be used when future proposals are considered. This included assessing how to maintain separation between settlements, strengthen design guidance and address the mix of new homes, while keeping the plan consistent with the wider planning framework.
Our Approach
ET Planning supported the Parish Council through the review, working with the neighbourhood plan team to update the plan and prepare it for submission. We reviewed the existing policies and consultation feedback, helped develop revised wording and coordinated the supporting evidence and submission documents. The updated plan includes a locally specific Design Code, a Local Gap policy, and strengthened policies covering the River Loddon, biodiversity, local green spaces, heritage, housing mix and sustainable movement. Following the community’s Regulation 14 consultation in early 2026, we considered the representations and refined the plan to improve its clarity and effectiveness. The submission version is now scheduled for a six-week Regulation 16 consultation, run by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council from 25 September to 6 November 2026. This is the next stage before independent examination; the revised plan has not yet been made.
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