Neighbourhood planning

On this page you can find out more about:

• documents relating to the neighbourhood plan
• the referendum
• declaration of result of the referendum.

Hoo St Werburgh and Chattenden Parish Council submitted its draft neighbourhood plan to Medway Council.

The plan covers the parish of Hoo St Werburgh and Chattenden. It sets out a vision for the parish by 2040 and policies for the sustainable development of the area.

The draft plan is supported by design guidelines and information on the consultation carried out in the development of the plan, and how the draft plan reflects national and local planning policy.

Medway Council’s Cabinet agreed to publish the Hoo St Werburgh and Chattenden Neighbourhood Plan for representations at Regulation 16 from 8 January to 19 February 2024. 

View the December 2023 Cabinet report.

Following publication of the draft plan at Regulation 16 in January and February 2024, the plan progressed to independent examination. 

Independent examiner Andrew Matheson, affiliated to the Neighbourhood Planning Independent Examiner Referral Service (NPIERS), was appointed by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) in consultation with the parish council. This is to ensure that the plan meets the necessary standards ('basic conditions’) and conforms with national and local planning policy.

Medway Council submitted the qualifying body’s response to the examiner's initial queries as well as Medway Council’s response to the queries.

Documents

View documents relating to the Hoo St Werburgh and Chattenden Neighbourhood Plan:

• Hoo St Werburgh and Chattenden Neighbourhood Plan
• Regulation 18 decision statement
• Statutory information statement
• Neighbourhood Planning general information
• Consultation Statement
• Basic Conditions Statement
• Design Code
• Strategic Environment Assessment
• Local Green Space Assessment.

View representations on the draft neighbourhood plan made at Regulation 16:

• Avison Young (on behalf of National Gas)
• East Sussex County Council
• Kelly Tolhurst (MP)
• Lower Medway Internal Drainage Board
• Natural England
• Avison Young (on behalf of National Grid)
• Taylor Wimpey
• Railfuture
• Strutt & Parker (on behalf of Lichfields)
• Southern Water
• Pinnacle Planning (on behalf of Richborough)
• Bloomfields (on behalf of AC Goatham & Son)
• Dean Lewis Estates
• Gladman
• Avison Young (on behalf of Homes England)
• NHS
• Stantec (on behalf of Hoo Consortium)
• All Saints Frindsbury
• Independent Councillors for Hoo and High Halstow Ward
• N Williams
• S Braine
• Medway Council comments.

Neighbourhood Planning Referendum

The independent examiner:

• reviewed the draft neighbourhood plan
• considered any changes and recommendations. 

Cabinet on 27 August 2024 considered the independent examiners report and decided that the Neighbourhood Plan be modified in accordance with the examiner's report and that the Neighbourhood Plan as modified should proceed to Referendum on Thursday 7 November 2024.

A Neighbourhood Planning Referendum was held on Thursday 7 November 2024.

View our Notice of Referendum.

Declaration of result of the referendum

I, Bhupinder Gill, am the Deputy Counting Officer at the Hoo St Werburgh & Chattenden Neighbourhood Planning Referendum held on Thursday 7 November 2024. The question put to voters in the Referendum was as follows:

“Do you want Medway Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for the Hoo St Werburgh & Chattenden area to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”  

I do hereby give notice that the number of votes given for each answer is as follows:

• Yes: 1752
• No: 133

and declare that the result of the Referendum is that more than half of those voting have voted YES in response to the question and therefore the Council as Local Planning Authority will now take steps to formally adopt the Plan. 

The number of votes rejected and not counted by me at this referendum was:

Download the verification statement

Bhupinder Gill
Deputy Counting Officer
7 November 2024