Following residents’ demand for a Parish Poll asking that Hawkwell Parish Council undertake a Neighbourhood Plan, the result was that over 700 (7.8%) of Hawkwell residents voted ‘yes’. Council have since agreed to undertake a feasibility study, in the first instance. At its recent Full Council meeting, Hawkwell Parish Council set out the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Neighbourhood Plan Feasibility Working Group (NPFWG).
It is important to emphasise that Neighbourhood Plans are community led. Currently, there are sufficient Councillors willing to join the NPFWG, but there are insufficient numbers of community volunteers to enable it to get up and running. Eight community volunteers are required; to date, Council has two volunteers, with two more expressing interest. Therefore, Council needs at least four more residents before it can kick off this important project.
The work undertaken by the NPFWG is key: the group aim expect to meet weekly for an hour; members will need to undertake research (potentially for a minimum of 2 hours per week) and bring back findings to the group. The initial due-diligence scoping exercise is estimated to take 2-4 months. It is expected members of the NPFWG will also be prepared to form part of a future Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, should Council proceed with a Neighbourhood Plan. If a Neighbourhood Plan does go ahead, then the commitment from the Steering Group members, together with the wider community, will likely need to extend beyond two years.
No particular skills are required to join the NPFWG. However, volunteers will need to have a high level of passion, commitment, teamwork and resilience.
If you are able to support these efforts, please get in touch by 26th September 2025. Contact the Parish Clerk on info@hawkwellparishcouncil.gov.uk
