Braishfield has a Village Design Statement (VDS), which was published in 2002 and updated in 2022 following a collective effort by many residents of the village.
Village or Town Design Statements (VDS) are documents that describe the distinctive characteristics of their area. They provide guidelines to developers to help manage development so that the village’s essential character can remain. They are produced by local residents, in consultation with the Council as the local planning authority.
It is a practical tool to help influence decisions on design and development. A VDS will provide a clear statement of the character of a particular village or town against which planning applications may be assessed. It is not about whether development should take place (this is one of the purposes of the borough’s Local Plan), but about how development should be undertaken so as to respect the local identity.
In 2018 Braishfield Parish Council was told that because of its age, the 2002 VDS was considered no longer relevant and required updating. Much of the content needed very little change (e.g. history, wildlife, landscape and views) so a completely new document was not necessary.
The Parish Council are very proud of the document and you can view a copy here by clicking the following link: