What is a Village Design Statement?
A Village Design Statement (VDS) is a practical tool to help influence design and development. The Malpas VDS will provide a clear statement of the character of Malpas and offer design guidance against which planning applications may be assessed.
It is not about whether development should take place (this is one of the purposes of the Local Authority’s Local Plan and Local Development Framework), but about how development should be undertaken so as to respect the local identity.
An effective VDS:
- describes the visual character of the village and demonstrates how local character and distinctiveness can be protected and enhanced in new development;
- is applicable to all forms and scale of development;
- is compatible with the statutory planning system and is suitable for approval by the Local Authority as supporting its Local Plan and Local Development Framework;
- is about managing change in the village, not preventing it.
- is developed, researched, written, and edited by local people;
- is representative of the views of the village as a whole and has involved a wide section of the village community in its production;
The Purpose of the VDS
Planning policy for Chester is set out in the adopted Chester District Local Plan (May 2006). Over time this will be replaced by new planning documents – together forming the Local Development Framework (LDF) – currently being prepared by the new Cheshire West and Chester authority. However, for the time being policies in the Chester District Local Plan remain in force.
Chester’s Local Plan contains policy that states that all development must be in keeping with the local character (policy GE7). The VDS will provide a detailed reference, identifying the characteristics of Malpas. It will serve as a material consideration when determining all planning applications, within the Malpas Parish.
The purpose of the preparation sessions were to give local people an opportunity to identify local character and distinctiveness, described in terms of the landscape setting of the village, the pattern and shape of the settlement, and the nature of buildings, spaces, landmarks and special features.
Supplementary documents for download
- Planning map (Big file – takes a while to download)
- Historic Town Survey Archaeological Assessment
- Historic Town Survey Archaeological Strategy
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