Willington Parish Council started a consultation with residents in 2019 asking for input and feedback about the future plans and desires for Willington. Over 120 residents attended, and it was agreed that Willington required a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP). Shortly after this, an application was made to South Derbyshire for the designation of Willington Parish as a Neighbourhood Development Area.
Steered by the Parish Council, some 40+ residents volunteered to form discussion groups to identify the issues, challenges, wants, needs and desires for Willington in the next 15+ years. The group lost some momentum during Covid isolation but picked up again with a survey of all residents in Willington in 2021. Approximately 1/3rd of households completed either the paper or online survey which provided some valuable insight into the thoughts of residents.
An active working group was formed to take the wishes and feedback from these surveys and to turn them into a Neighbourhood Plan. Grant funding was sourced and an expert NDP consultant (Helen Metcalfe) was brought in to ensure that the NDP would pass the rigorous technical requirements.
There is a lot that Willington residents are rightly proud of, and the group has aimed to enhance and protect these key assets and characteristics. The popularity of Willington brings many challenges though, namely recent expansion, traffic, flooding and the need to ensure suitable accommodation is provided for different generations.
Willington has a strong heritage with trade originally on the River Trent, later the Trent Mersey Canal, followed by Railway and more recently on the junction of 2 major A-roads. These transport networks criss-cross and surround the Parish Boundary and provide opportunity and challenges in equal proportions. Throughout its history though, Willington has retained its Village status with greenfield separation between neighbouring villages. Willington has however grown and now has 1000+ houses and is deemed as a key-village in South Derbyshire due to its location and facilities.
Factual evidence has been gained from the 2021 Census data and also analysis by professional planning specialists (AECOM) to identify the risks and opportunities we face in the next 15 years. Willington will continue to develop but the process of having an agreed NDP will ensure that residents' opinions will help to shape our own future whilst landscape policies will help to resist inappropriate speculative developments on unsuitable green fields and areas at risk of flooding
The NDP aims to recognise the heritage, public-facilities, environmental, conservation, educational, health & wellbeing, and community requirements now and for the next 15-years.
The production of this plan has taken considerable time and has not been an easy process. I would like to thank the original volunteers, the volunteer working group made up of Parish Councillors and members of the Public, our Clerk, Helen Metcalfe and South Derbyshire District Council for their hard work and assistance in the production of this plan.
John Houghton
Chair of Willington Neighbourhood Development Plan.
Brian Davis, Phillip Allsopp, Mark Bartram, Chris Mead, Mark Bassett, Sophie Mead, Sue Carter, Alex Davenport.
Working Group Committee over the duration of plan.