What does a VDS cover?

• It describes the distinctive character of a village and its surrounding countryside;
• It shows how character can be identified at three levels:
• the landscape setting of the village,
• the shape of the settlement,
• the nature of the buildings themselves;
• A VDS sets down design principles based on the distinctive local character;
• Production of a Statement fosters working in partnership with the local authority, engenders understanding of current planning policies, and offers the chance to influence future policies.

“I started looking and was surprised to discover how much I had never seen.” VDS team member

Design Statements have been completed by villages in all parts of England — from Cumbria to Cornwall, and from Shropshire to Suffolk. They are of value to residents, planners, designers and developers. There should be broad involvement of local interests so that the finished design statement is a representative document, and one that presents ideas for stimulating and sustaining community involvement in planning issues. It is important that the parish council, plus planning authority councillors and officers are drawn in to the VDS process. Preparing a Village Design Statement doesn’t demand design or planning knowledge — the only requirement is an interest in the future well-being of your village. But it will need time, energy, imagination and determination! An effective Village Design Statement: is developed, researched, written and edited by local people;

• reflects the representative views of a community;
• involves a wide cross-section of residents in its production;
• describes the visual character of the village;
• demonstrates how local character and distinctiveness can be protected and enhanced in new development;
• is compatible with the statutory planning system and its local application;
• should be accepted as supplementary planning guidance (and thereby influence developers and decisions on individual planning applications);
• is relevant to all forms and scale of development, and
• is about managing change in the village, not preventing it.

A Village Design Statement is unlike any other planning document! It gives planning advice directly applicable to the statutory planning system and is entirely community based.

For further information on Village Design Statements, the Countryside Agency has some material online at http://www.countryside.gov.uk/villagedesign/default.htm

The Ropley Village Design Statement was put together by the following committee members: Graham Arnott, Ron Beal, George Brown, Nick Cook, Jim Culverwell, John Hunt, Michael Ludgate, John Noble (RIP), Jenny Nops, Liz Wheeler, Gerry Woolnough (RIP - a major contributor).

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