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Little Baddow has produced a Village Design Statement (VDS).  

This gives a detailed description of the existing character and main features of design in the village and offers guidelines for how this should be respected in any new development.  

It identifies the physical qualities and characteristics of the village and its surroundings that are valued by local people and highlight the aspects we would like to conserve and protect.

The VDS is a planning tool to manage change, expanding on local planning policies.  It can not create new local plan policy.  It looks at the village in its countryside setting, the form of the settlement as a whole and the characteristics of the buildings and spaces within the village.

The VDS has been produced in consultation with residents, the Parish Council, Chelmsford Borough Council Planning Department and the Rural Community Council of Essex.

The VDS is primarily about planning policy.  However, in gathering information from villagers other issues, not capable of inclusion in the plan were discussed.  These issues can have been identified and passed to other relevant bodies, such as the Parish Council, for action.

The Village Design Statement was steered by an independent group of villagers whose aim was to obtain the views of the village as a whole and involve as wide a section of the community as possible in its production.

A VDS gives designers and developers positive guidance on acceptable design from the community's point of view.  It improves design in our area by being applied consistently in the development control process.  It allows the planning authorities to reject planning applications on the grounds of poor design.  It will also help protect visually important buildings and open spaces.

Guidance for production of this document is being given by the Rural Community Council of Essex and Chelmsford Borough Council..