Eight Ash Green Neighbourhood Plan

(1) 4 The key issues for Eight Ash Green and our Vision Statement

4.1 The key issues were identified from extensive meetings with villagers, businesses, landowners and the Parish Council, the responses to the 2017 questionnaire and local knowledge and include:-

• retaining the rural character of the village by protecting the environment – landscape/open spaces, thus helping to support nature conservation
• ensuring there is no coalescence with Stanway and/or Colchester or the proposed West Tey Garden Community/New Town ie the prevention of urban sprawl and urbanisation of the village
• providing high quality housing with good design and layout on a site chosen by the villagers.

4.2 These are reflected in the Vision Statement for the village:-

The Vision for Eight Ash Greenis that it should remain a small village located in a rural setting, mainly consisting of residential dwellings interspersed with open farmland but also containing some small business premises. Eight Ash Green should continue to enjoy wide open spaces within the village with uninterrupted views of the countryside. It should remain clearly separated from other nearby villages - it is not and should not become a suburb of either Stanway, Colchester or the proposed West Tey Garden Community/New Town.

4.3 Other key issues which are important include:-

• encouraging the domestic use of green energy
• looking after the biodiversity present in the village
• jobs – encouraging local employment/businesses and the best use of land
• having effective and convenient transport links in the village
• valuing the local heritage
• the provision of effective wired broadband.