A VDS is a document written by residents that describes the existing character and main features of design in the village and puts forward guidelines for the conservation of that character in new developments. It records what local people value about their home environment, so this can be taken into account when any developments take place.

The aim is to keep Ingatestone & Fryerning a pleasant place to live by ensuring that its visual character and distinctiveness are protected and enhanced in any new developments.

The purpose of the VDS is to manage aspects of change at a more detailed level than is defined by the Local Plan, whether that change is major new development or just small-scale external modifications to properties made by individual home owners. Its scope, as specified by the Countryside Agency, is to give guidance on how planned development should be carried out so that it is in harmony with its surroundings and contributes to the conservation and, where possible, enhancement, of the local environment. Its scope does not extend to whether or not development should take place. That is ultimately a decision for the local planning authority.

It is the aim of the VDS Association Committee that the VDS will be accepted as a Supplementary Planning Document by Brentwood Borough Council. As such it will have an official standing, so that its guidelines, aimed at retaining the special character of Ingatestone & Fryerning in any future development, must be taken into account when planning applications are determined.

The first draft of the VDS was written by the VDSA Committee, who are all residents of the village, following a major consultation exercise with the community so that everyone should have had a chance to be involved.

The committee, led by chairman Richard Pain and supported by the Parish Council, have been canvassing the views of residents since May 2003 when the Village Character Assessment Workshop, attended by 42 members of the community, took place.

The workshop resulted in a detailed photographic survey of the parish which identified aspects valued by the participants in giving the village its local character and distinctiveness.

To establish a wider community view, the results of the village character assessment workshop were presented to the community in two very well attended exhibitions during July and August 2003. Overall, several hundred people visited the first and nearly one hundred visited the second exhibition. Approximately 170 comments were received and used as the basis for a VDS questionnaire complied during the autumn and sent to all households in the village just before Christmas 2003.

Nearly 400 households returned the questionnaires and a summary of the results are posted on this web site. The next stage was the creation of the draft Village Design Statement that took account of the answers to questions and the many additional comments we received in the questionnaires.

The draft VDS was then used as a consultation document to obtain comments from the community at the three exhibitions during the summer of 2004and via this web site as well as from the County Council and Brentwood Borough Planning Departments. The comments received were taken into account in producing the final text of the Statement. This was submitted to Brentwood Borough Council and was approved as Interim Planning Guidance as the relevant national guidelines for adoption of VDS documents were in the process of being changed. Once the new guidelines have been confirmed, it is anticipated that the VDS should be able to be formally adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document.

Finally

A village design statement is about village character and how it can be retained. New developments of all scale, including home improvements, sometimes ignore what is unique about their surroundings. This results in standard shops, houses and road scenes that look the same across the country, rather than reflecting the special character of their local environment.

The VDSA Committee want to keep Ingatestone's special look and feel and the guidelines in the VDS should help to do just that. We hope that everyone will read and use the Village Design Statement.

For a large Print copy of the Village Design Statement, please phone 352177.