Kingston Neighbourhood Plan

Questionnaire Survey Report

The Report on the Questionnaire Survey is now available on this site. This is what you said!

The Kingston Neighbourhood Plan Questionnaire was delivered to each house in the Parish of Kingston in late September 2017.  A copy of the Kingston Questionnaire is on this site.

207 questionnaires were delivered and 165 completed questionnaires were returned, through house to house collection or via a central collection box. The first short section of the questionnaire included general questions about the household, but the following section gave an opportunity for each person in the household to respond, from 11yrs/secondary school upwards. 

333 respondents completed the questionnaire. The population of Kingston was 387 at the 2011 Census, showing an 86% return rate.  

There were 36 questions in the questionnaire. Everyone was encouraged to complete as many questions as possible, but if not comfortable with a question to leave it blank and move on. This means that total numbers of responses vary slightly from question to question. The information is presented as real numbers and as percentages. Much of it is illustrated with bar/pie charts. 

Some questions gave a number of options to choose and an open box in which to note any ‘other ‘ responses. There were also a few open questions. In total there were 824 comments given in these boxes. A summary of comments is given and a fuller appendix will follow as soon as possible. 

A separate ‘Very Special Questionnaire’ for 4-11yrs/primary school children was delivered with each main questionnaire and further copies made available. There is a separate, illustrated, report available on this questionnaire.

A huge thank you to those who helped prepare, design and print, deliver and collect this questionnaire, collate, check and present the responses, but especially to all of you who completed it.  The policies in Kingston Neighbourhood Plan will be developed from what you have told us .

Site Assessment Report published

The Neighbourhood Planning Group commissioned an independent Site Assessment Report from a highly experienced planning consultant, who is also helping us with developing the Neighbourhood Plan, NP. He is working with some other NP groups in the South Hams.  The national guidance for Neighbourhood planning notes that a site assessment is considered essential to the Neighbourhood Planning process. The Report, which is now on the NP website and available as a paper copy in the Reading Room, covers 11 potential building sites in Kingston. There were only 10 sites included in the Questionnaire, but we were told of a further one after the questionnaire went out and this has been included. This is an impartial professional Report based on planning requirements and not on anyone’s personal views. The consultant toured the sites and has had access to all the information we have collected from landowners and potential developers.

The Report will form a part of the evidence base from which we will develop the housing policies in the Neighbourhood Plan. Your views as given in the Questionnaire will of course be a significant part of this evidence.

Please also give us your comments on the Report all of which will go into the evidence to be taken into account as we build up our policies.

The Report shows 3 sites as suitable for new build with the potential of 7 new homes. The draft Joint Local Plan noted that Kingston could sustain 10 new homes over the Plan period.  This is an indicative, not a definitive, number, but was allocated following consultation on a number of sustainability issues, eg public transport, facilities and amenities etc. There are already 3 new homes in the village with agreed planning permission, given during the period the Joint Local Plan will cover, which is 2014 – 2034. However please note that there is currently no clear cap on the number of homes to be built in the village and any site which landowners/developers put into planning will be judged on its own merits. 

Sites deemed ‘unsuitable’ in the Site Assessment Report, are not precluded in any way from applying for planning permission. The Lewis family site, Vicarage Park and Sanderson’s Field are in the process of, or are already applying, for planning permission.  Anyone can comment on their proposals through the South Hams District Council website when the full application becomes available. 

Kingston has spoken!