Sherborne St John Parish Council

Sherborne St John Parish Council Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Sherborne St John Parish Council, Government Organization, Sherborne Saint John.

30/01/2026

One up for the Great Crested Newt !!!......

Our Ref: 25/02051/FUL 30 January 2026
Dear Mr Morgan,
Location: Land At Cranesfield Sherborne St John Hampshire
Proposal: Full Planning Application for residential development of the site with
access, roads, parking, open space, SuDs and associated
infrastructure for 26 residential dwellings.

I refer to the application submitted in respect of the above mentioned proposal and to the
representations which you have made.

Permission has been refused for the following reasons:

1 The proposed development, by virtue of the scale, density, layout and appearance would
have a harmful and urbanising effect upon the landscape, character and visual amenity
of the area with adverse impacts on Key Viewpoints 1, 2 and 5 contained within the
Sherborne St John Neighbourhood Plan 2011-2029. The development would not respect
the existing settlement pattern and is overly urbanised, whereby it would not
satisfactorily integrate into its setting or positively contribute to the overall quality of the
area. The proposal would therefore not be sympathetic to or enhance the landscape
character or visual quality of the area nor would it contribute to local distinctiveness or
sense of place falling contrary to Policies EM1 and EM10 of the Basingstoke and Deane
Local Plan 2011-2029, Policies 3, 4 and 7 of the Sherborne St John Neighbourhood Plan
2011-2029 and the National Planning Policy Framework (December 2024) as well as
guidance contained within the Design and Sustainability Supplementary Planning
Document (2018) and the Landscape, Biodiversity and Trees Supplementary Planning
Document (2018).

2 The proposed development would erode the rural setting of the Sherborne St John
Conservation Area and that of listed buildings within it (namely Grade I listed St Andrews
Church, Grade II listed Manor Farm House and the non-designated medieval fishpond),
through the siting, layout, scale and appearance of the development resulting in the loss
of open space and views afforded of the countryside, thereby resulting in harm to the
significance of heritage assets and to the ability to appreciate such significance. When
having regard to Sections 66 and 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation
Areas) Act 1990, the proposed development conflicts with Policy EM11 of the
Page 2 of 3
Basingstoke and Deane Local Plan 2011-2029, Policy 9 of the Sherborne St John
Neighbourhood Plan 2011-2029, the National Planning Policy Framework (2024) and
guidance contained within the Heritage Supplementary Planning Document (2019).

3 The development has not demonstrated that there would be no harm to Great Crested
Newts. It is considered that there would be satisfactory alternatives for the proposal in a
different location and it has not been evidenced that there would be no harmful impacts
to the protected species when assessing the development against the three derogation
tests required for a European Protected Species (EPS) license. Consequently, the
Council is not satisfied that an EPS licence would be granted. As such, the development
is contrary to Policy EM4 of the Basingstoke and Deane Local Plan 2011 to 2029, Policy
6 of the Sherborne St John Neighbourhood Plan 2011-2029, the National Planning
Policy Framework 2024 and guidance contained within the Landscape, Biodiversity and
Trees Supplementary Planning Document (2018).

4 Insufficient information has been submitted to ascertain the impact that the
development would have on bats, dormouse and the Local Network Recovery Strategy.
As such, the development is contrary to Policy EM4 of the Basingstoke and Deane Local
Plan 2011 to 2029, Policy 6 of the Sherborne St John Neighbourhood Plan 2011-2029,
the National Planning Policy Framework (2024) and guidance contained within the
Landscape, Biodiversity and Trees Supplementary Planning Document (2018).

5 Insufficient information has been provided to establish whether the proposed
development, by virtue of the site layout, would create pressure to fell nearby trees.
These boundary trees make a positive contribution towards the character and
appearance of the locality and therefore further information is required to ensure the
integrity of these trees can be protected. Accordingly, the proposal is contrary to Policy
EM1 of the Basingstoke and Deane Local Plan 2011- 2029, the National Planning Policy
Framework (2024) and guidance contained within the Landscape, Biodiversity and Trees
Supplementary Planning Document (2018).

6 The road layout has not been demonstrated to provide a suitable an on-site movement
layout compatible for all potential users with appropriate parking provision and therefore
falls contrary to Policies CN9 and EM10 of the Basingstoke and Deane Local Plan 2011-
2029, the National Planning Policy Framework (2024) and guidance contained within the
Parking Supplementary Planning Document (2018).

7 The application has failed to provide a sequential test and has failed to demonstrate the
current and future impacts of surface and ground water risks to ensure that future
occupiers would remain safe for the lifetime of the development. The development is
therefore contrary to Policy EM7 of the Basingstoke and Deane Local Plan 2011- 2029
and the National Planning Policy Framework (2024).

8 The proposed development would not provide high quality amenity for future occupiers,
namely in Plots 3, 16, 19 and 23 due to the lack of sufficient private amenity space by
virtue of size and useability. The development would also not respect required back-toback
distances for Plots 25 and 26 and therefore would present unacceptable levels of
overlooking. Accordingly, the proposed development is contrary to Policy EM10 of the
Basingstoke and Deane Local Plan 2011 - 2029, the National Planning Policy
Framework (2024) and guidance contained within the Design and Sustainability
Supplementary Planning Document (2018).

9 In the absence of any suitable legal agreement, or justification for the absence of a legal
agreement, the proposed development does not make adequate provision for
community and infrastructure contributions in relation to Affordable Housing, Green
Infrastructure, Equipped Play, Biodiversity Net Gain and Landscape Management. The
proposed development is therefore contrary to Policies CN1, CN6, EM1, and EM5 of the
Basingstoke and Deane Local Plan 2011-2029, Policies 3 and 6 of the Sherborne St
John Neighbourhood Plan 2011-2029, the National Planning Policy Framework (2024)
and the guidance contained within the Housing Supplementary Planning Document
2018, the Planning Obligations for Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Document
(2018), the Landscape, Biodiversity and Trees Supplementary Planning Document
(2018) and the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (as amended).

27/01/2026

CPR
Can you put Saturday, 18th April @ 2 p.m - Village Hall in your respective diaries please.

For sometime the PC has been trying to arrange a CPR session but the process of aligning dates as to when the Village Hall is free with the availability of a St John’s Ambulance volunteer has proved to be a tad trickier than anticipated.

Let’s initially assume that there is a limit of 50 attendees. I’m told that we can increase on that number. If there are more than 50 a second Resusci Anne will need to be sourced.

As an aside the Resusci Anne face is based on a real, unidentified woman (the "Unknown Woman of the Seine") found in Paris, chosen to appear less threatening than a male mannequin. She is also often referred to as having "the most kissed lips" in history. ( However I think the norm these days is to hold the mouth closed and use the nose? )

Anyone who’s attended a previous CPR session will know that he Bee Gees’ “Stayin Alive” is the perfect song for hitting the 100-120 beats per minute required for ideal chest compressions. A different sentiment maybe but still effective is ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ by Queen and finally the Disney song, ‘Nellie The Elephant’ is the 'fun' option.

I know it’s 3 months away but as I said availability was the issue.
Light refreshments will be provided but if the experience proves too much then a cheeky hop, skip and a jump over to The Swan might help.

If you are interested then please e-mail the Clerk, [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).

Please don’t simply reply to this post if you’re interested, please send an e-mail as asked for.

26/01/2026

How to get a pothole fixed - see 3rd paragraph from the end of the post

Since Christmas, wintry and wet weather has hit our highway network particularly hard. The impacts of regular freeze–thaw cycles and persistent rain have accelerated road deterioration, leading to a significant surge in pothole reports and repair requests. This level of degradation is consistent with what our highways officers would expect to see at this time of year, which can lead to weakened road surfaces and failure of the underlying layers.

As an aside, since the start of the financial year, the Highways Team have already repaired more than 62,000 defects, including potholes and other surface damage.

To tackle the damage and spike in demand, the Highways Team, working closely with M Group, have successfully secured extra supply-chain resources - and they have managed this despite a significant rise in demand for frontline resources nationally from other highway authorities!

Highways have extra Jet/Dragon Patchers already out on the Hampshire network with more due soon. In addition, extra carriageway patching gangs started on 12 January, and more are expected to join by the end of this month. Further resource increases are likely over the coming weeks.

While dealing with potholes will remain the main focus over the coming months, the winter weather is also placing pressure on other parts of the network, especially drainage assets. To help manage the increase in flooding, there are also additional jetting machines available to respond to issues related to piped drainage systems. A team is also available to tackle other localised flooding problems.

In addition, an extra white‑lining team is now on the network addressing small, localised sites where markings have deteriorated.

In light of the increased demand, it is inevitable that some reported defects will need to be temporarily infilled to ensure road safety. Whilst permanent first-time repairs are always preferred, the level of demand is currently so high across Hampshire that infill repairs will need to be considered as a quick-fix while longer term permanent repairs are scheduled.

Whilst I appreciate the desire for Members to report cases from their residents directly to me and/or the Director’s team, this creates unintended delay and additional work.

I would therefore strongly encourage all Members to direct residents to report any highway issues via our website or via the Our Hants app. This still remains the most effective way for our teams to prioritise work. Clear descriptions of the location and photographs of the pothole are always appreciated - though not essential - and greatly assist in ensuring a timely response.

The reporting of defects via members own email addresses or social media is strongly discouraged as this can lead to delays in responding to genuine safety defects, and increase risk for road users.

The recent DfT report highlighting highway authority performance has, I know, sparked a great deal of interest. Hampshire's rating of Amber is felt by officers to be a fair reflection of Hampshire’s current position but nevertheless the team are already actively engaging with the DfT to better understand their rating criteria and methodology for future submissions to reports.

Like buses....
16/01/2026

Like buses....

21/12/2025

Another year of change - the machinations of the body politic, both domestic and international, never cease to amaze and frustrate.
For Hampshire and the Isle of Wight there is the probability of replacing Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council and all the district and borough councils, with unitary councils of population sizes of around 500,000. The current expectation is that the next round of council elections will be postponed while the great and the good discuss this merger process.
When I first joined the Parish Council some 13 years ago, we were a parish of some 1,000 parishioners, we’re now up to approximately 1,700. Our finances have seen an even greater percentage increase. We have been some major expenditures this year and others are planned for next year but the finances of the Parish are in good shape. However the Parish Council is very much aware of the possibility of expensive repairs to the Chute, e.g. the Chute roof will potentially require repair/replacement as it reaches its anticipated life span of 25 years.
The refurbishments to the Chute i.e. new boiler, toilets and showers have been successfully completed.
Two of the four heaters have also been replaced - folk have been asking for the heat to be turned down instead remarking on how cold the building was.
Next year will see a CCTV system installed and improvements to the lighting in the car park implemented.
The new play area at the Chute is also nearing completion. Thanks to Cllr’s Rowley and Agnew for leading this project.
Our new Neighbourhood Plan, with its zero allocation of new houses for the SSJ Parish, can now be seen as a timely submission with the government’s anticipated demand for new housing. However the plan has yet to be tested.
All the major planning applications the Council anticipated moving forward this year are still lurking in the background, seemingly with no forward momentum. I refer to the 200 house extension of Kiln Farm and another 300 houses at the Weybrook golf course.
The application for the large solar farm bordering the A340, Morgaston Wood and SSJ is slowly moving forward. The proposed site for this development is within the jurisdiction of the Bramley Parish council. However SSJ Parish Council are supporting Bramley in their opposition to this application.
The Parish Council has finalised the process of registering the Parish Council as the ‘owner’ of the Chute grounds making it a straight forward process, albeit costly, to remove any future unwarranted incursions.
The application for 26 new houses on the land at the back of Cranesfield has been resubmitted by a different developer. Parishioners and the Parish Council have again submitted a detailed objection to this application. I anticipate that spring time we will see further movement of this application.
The PC is in the process of applying for a grant towards some new/additional speedwatch equipment.
We have implemented a new software package in order move the management of the Parish accounts away from spreadsheets to a proper computerised system. This coming year will see the rollout of the more functionality with the ability for folk to manage Chute bookings on line, etc.
We have Terry Buller as ‘guardian’ of all things Chute related.
Martin Stewart keeps the village s***k and span. Thank you to the parishioners who emptied the bins around the village whilst Martin was off sick at the end of last year.
Mike Greaves has shown that the management of the allotments continues to be in safe hands.
This time last year I wrote about the PC having a new Clerk - I can repeat the message again this year - welcome Alison Heward. Ali will be focussing on the admin issues of the Parish whilst Rosie will focus on the financials. Ali has started attending the Monday morning coffee sessions at the Village Hall on a monthly basis to provide a face to face opportunity for Parishioners engage with the Parish Council.
A big thank you to my fellow Parish Councillors, Councillors Davies, Agnew, Bechelet and Rowley.
The Parish Council is supported by Simon Minas-Bound, our Borough Councillor. Simon is tenacious in working to resolve Parish issues that must be handled by the Borough Council.
We are also lucky to have Cllr Vaughan, Rhydian is our conduit to Hampshire County Council. Gandalf like he offers words of wisdom that are always worth their weight in gold and I greatly value his input and advice.
We now ‘formally’ have a new vicar, Stewart having passed the ‘audition’. I was lucky enough to be invited to the formal Instigation service in September. Stewart and his family are a positive influence on village life.
We have a new PCSO who is assigned to ‘look after’ SSJ, Kane Lucas. Kane is part of a wider team that looks after the rural areas around Basingstoke. The Parish Council has already had opportunity to work with Kane on a number of issues.
I am humbled to again state that there are many parishioners who have supported the Parish Council this year. These folk have led on various initiatives and advised the Parish Council on others. I refrain from mentioning names, there are too many and I would miss someone. Suffice it to say, thank you all for your support.
To ALL of the members of ‘team SSJ’ as mentioned above, a BIG thank you for all your efforts in 2025 in making/keeping SSJ a special place to live.
And finally to everyone in the Parish, on behalf of the Parish Council, we wish you and yours a marvellous Christmas and a peaceful, prosperous 2026
Richard
Chair, SSJ PC

26/09/2025

Planning Application - 26 x houses

The previous submission of this application saw over 200 letters of objection - as a parish it would be good to get to same level for this revised submission.

In fact we need to minimally to get to the 200 mark in order to show our continued disapproval of these ‘speculative’ applications whilst BDBC are developing their new Local Plan.

Objections are not limited on a per house basis - EVERYONE in said house can submit an objection. I suspect that there is a line to be drawn here and any objection signed Tiddles or Rover might be rejected.

SSJ has a new local plan, blessed and confirmed by BDBC where the allocation number for SSJ re: new housing is zero.

Although it may seem it’s the same submission there are superficial changes that require all folk, and more, to submit a new objection.

Whilst you can look on previous objections as a source of knowledge for any new submission, you must directly not cut and paste from your previous or any other previous objection(s). You need to make subtle changes to any text you may choose to re-use but keep the main thrust of your initial point.

The PC have engaged the same planning consultancy/consultant that we used to develop the PC’s submission to the previous application.

Remember …..

Simply submitting a Facebook declaration of how much you are against this application doesn’t cut the mustard - a letter of objection to BDBC does

Any objection that relies personal feelings and not on planning regulations will be ignored

Below is the link to the previous application by the same developer

: https://publicaccess.basingstoke.gov.uk/.../applicationDe...

25/08/2025

Parish Council Update.

We have a new Parish Clerk - but wait I hear you say we’ve recently taken on a Parish Clerk. To be specific we now have x 2 Parish Clerks with a split between Finance and Admin. When I started on the Council some twelve years ago we had 1,000 parishioners and a relatively healthy sum in the bank - we’ve now have approx 1,700 Parishioners and a very healthy bank balance. The role was getting too big for one person to keep on top of.
So….
Our existing Clerk, Rosie Burton, will manage our finances. You can contact Rosie on 07714 947328 or e-mail her at [email protected].
Our new/additional Clerk, Alison Heward, will manage all our admin. You can contact Alison on 0739 921 3133. Alison lives in the village, Vyne Road , about 2 houses down from the Chute.
Whilst each Clerk has their own responsibilities there will be an overlap to account for holidays, etc. It will also allow us to progress with the set up of the Parish Council ‘surgery’ in the Village Hall - details to be provided.

We’re also about to award a contract to install new playground facilities at the Chute. Councillors Rowley ( [email protected] ) and Agnew ( [email protected] ) are the folk to contact if you want further details

We are in the early stages of a plan to upgrade the Chute. We are looking to install CCTV, upgrade the current car park lighting and extend/resurface the car park with a couple of disabled parking spaces. The CCTV will probably include the car park so we’re working out how best to install this car park CCTV camera without intruding on folk in nearby housing.

We also understand that Rydon are coming back for a second bite of the cherry and are planning to submit a full planning application for the same 26 houses that were originally rejected in Cranesfield. More on this as the application progresses.

You may have read in the national press there are plans to merge borough councils into ‘super’ councils. This all appears to be a bit vague at he moment but Cllr Bound, our local borough councillor, is the man to contact for specifics - I think he recently posted details of the proposal. Simon's email address should you want more detail.([email protected] ).

The normal activities of trying to work out how to stop speeding in the village and other like activities continue apace.

The next Parish Council meeting is on the 24th September.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer….

07/08/2025

Thank you to the kind folk who decided that the fencing around the astro-turf at either end of the Chute pavilion, would look better located elsewhere.
The Parish Council now has the pleasure of replacing said fencing at a significant cost, monies that would have been better spent elsewhere on projects that would benefit the whole Parish.
The case for CCTV is now proven - we will be progressing the installation of a CCTV system covering the Chute and Chute car park.

Cranesfield Playground RefurbishmentSee attached from BDBCGet your thinking caps on...R
10/03/2025

Cranesfield Playground Refurbishment

See attached from BDBC

Get your thinking caps on...

R

23/02/2025

We have invited RWE to present the current draft of their Aldermaston Road Solar Farm planning application. The formal application has yet to be submitted to BDBC.

The meeting will be at the Chute on Tuesday, 4th March at 7.30 p.m. There will be representatives from the following groups;

RWE, the company that will be submitting the application
The Community Funding group
Parish Councils that border the proposed site
BDBC Councillors
HCC
SSJ PC

I anticipate that

RWE would open the session by explaining the current detail of the application - 15 mins
The Community Fund representative who will work with the PC to agree the level of grant that RWE will contribute to the SSJ coffers - 15 Mins
Open forum - max 90 minutes
The meeting would close by 9.30

Please share the above details far and wide to ensure we get a good turnout

14/02/2025

* 23/02622/OUT|Outline planning application for up to 220 homes, with vehicular access from Aldermaston Road (A340), and the provision of; cycle and pedestrian accesses, open space, landscaping, SuDS, and other associated infrastructure. All matters reserved except for access at Land At Aldermaston Road, Sherborne St John.
Reason: Proposal constituting Major development, affecting Right of Way and being a Departure from Development Plan.
Documentation for the above can be found on the BDBC web site.

* An application from NatPower to locate a battery energy storage scheme north of Morgaston Road - see attached for all details. This is not related to the anticipated for the application for the RWE Solar Farm.
NatPower are offering a consultation about the application on the 28th Feb in the Village Hall.

* The RWE application for the Solar Farm is progressing. We’re anticipating an updated consultation in early March, prior to their formal planning application.

N.B. There is no connection between the RWE and NatPower applications

Latest from Simon Minas Bound, one of the BDBC Councillors who represent the SSJ, as to progress on the new Basingstoke ...
06/02/2025

Latest from Simon Minas Bound, one of the BDBC Councillors who represent the SSJ, as to progress on the new Basingstoke Local Plan

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