Community Development

The Houghton on the Hill Parish Plan was published in 2004 (see link below).

In respect of the Neighbourhood Plan 2018, the Parish Council formally constituted the Houghton Neighbourhood Planning Working Party at its meeting on 12 February 2015.

For information on the Neighbourhood Plan 2018 or the Neighbourhood Plan 2021 please refer to the dedicated pages.

Neighbourhood Plan 2018

Neighbourhood Plan 2021

In May 2015 an updated settlement profile was published by Harborough District Council. The profile was prepared by planning officers for the district's towns and larger villages and forms part of the evidence base for the new Local Plan. The aim of this profiling work was to bring together existing information and evidence relating to each settlement in order to understand how it functions, its key characteristics, its level of services and facilities along with any specific local issues and priorities the community may have.

Parish Councils were given the opportunity to comment on the draft profiles early in 2015. Houghton on the Hill Parish Council accordingly submitted comments in February 2015. The comments received were incorporated where appropriate and reported to the Local Plan Member Advisory Panel comprising cross party Councillors chaired by Councillor King, Portfolio Holder for Planning. The profiles were designed to help the District Council understand each settlement's sustainability and any issues facing the local community.

The profiles sought to summarise currently available evidence which, along with other evidence, is used to determine the appropriate amount of development to be directed to settlements to 2031. The profiles do not seek to set out future policy as this will be done through the new Local Plan. It is important to note that the profile provides only a snapshot of the evidence available for the settlement at a point in time. Every effort will be made to incorporate new evidence as it becomes available.

The Parish Council is consulted on planning applications and will make comments (subject to the Extensions of Time Policy) on potential material planning matters which will be considered by Planning Officers when dealing with an application.

It will make reference to a template which was published by Harborough District Council and Core Strategy Policies.

Extensions of Time Policy

In instances where it would otherwise be necessary (i.e. where the Consultation Expiry Date is on or before the next eligible Parish Council meeting), a request to Harborough District Council to permit a time extension will not normally be made in respect of the following application types:-

• CLU – Certificate of Lawful Use
• DDD – Dead, Dying and Diseased tree
• GOV – Development by Government Department
• MMA – Minor Material Amendment
• NMA – Non-Material Amendments
• PCD – Planning Condition Discharge
• PDN – Permitted Development Notification
• TCA – Tree(s) in Conservation Area
• TPO – Tree(s) protected by Tree Preservation Order

A Councillor may, however, within 48 hours of the notification being sent to them, request the Clerk to apply for an Extension of Time which, if successful, will enable the Parish Council's comments to be considered by Harborough District Council.

In respect of other application types (i.e. excluding those shown above), when the Consultation Expiry Date is on or before the next eligible Parish Council meeting, a request to Harborough District Council to permit a time extension will be made.

Eight Assets of Community Value have been nominated, all of which are included in the list as follows:-

Click to view map of Assets of Community Value

They will remain on the list of Assets of Community Value for a period of five years. They cannot be sold before the end of this five year period (see table above) without the asset owner informing Harborough District Council at which time a moratorium will be imposed on the sale giving an opportunity for the nominating group (i.e. the Parish Council) to raise funds to purchase the property on the open market.

There will be an initial moratorium period of six weeks, from the date of notification of intention to sell the asset, to enable the nominating group to make a decision whether to progress to purchase or not, If the group wishes to progress to purchase the property then a further six month moratorium period, from the date of the notification to sell, will be imposed.

Further information can be accessed on Harborough District Council's website.