Neighbourhood Plan

NEW Tuxford Neighbourhood Plan

Tuxford has started on a remaking of the Neighbourhood Plan. It is a good time to be doing this as Bassetlaw is at the final stages of creating a new Plan for the District, and Tuxford’s Neighbourhood Plan must be aligned with it.

Thanks to the fantastic response to the online questionnaire, to which there were over 400 responses, we have a solid evidence base for the input to the next Plan. This will also feed into a Neighbourhood Priority Statement. This will be a binding legal document which Bassetlaw District Council will be obliged to respect.

There are some constraints – a minimum housing commitment of 252 additional houses between 2021 and 2038 (so all the recent houses in Tuxford count towards this). New housing means developer commitments which then feed back into Tuxford’s community infrastructure; so provided it is what we want to see, where we want it to be, it is a good thing and the only way to secure the sort of new (and upgraded) things we want to see and Tuxford deserves.

The Planning Committee of Tuxford Town Council has been working hard during the past year or so to put the building block in place. We have started a library of documents which we encourage anyone to look at.

We have provided input to Bassetlaw’s Plan, to protect Tuxford’s interests, and we have engaged with consultants to make a Design Codes document for Tuxford. This is a legal document, linked ot the last Neighbourhood Plan but consistent with the next one, which defines what all new building in Tuxford needs to look like. This is a major step forward as Tuxford has never had this before (although there were architecture sections within the Conservation Area Assessment).

These can be found in the Library link below.

We now urgently need some members of the public to volunteer to join up and participate in the creation of the New Neighbourhood Plan between now and April, 2024. If you are interested, please email the clerk – clerk@tuxfordtowncouncil.gov.uk

The Future of New Housing in Tuxford

This note incorporates five separate documents. Please read this first so the others can be understood.
I hope reading this will help clarify points which in some cases might cause either confusion or concern. I hope that it will help to explain the appended documents. However, please feel free to get in touch via email (robin@tuxfordnp.org.uk) or get in touch via Facebook on the 2024 Tuxford Neighbourhood Plan page if you have a question.
Robin Walker
17th November, 2025

Overview
In preparing the new Tuxford Neighbourhood Plan (TNP), we did our utmost to secure input from the community as well as securing funding for external consultant reports and analyses. These are summarised below and they have also been uploaded to the Neighbourhood Plan library on the Tuxford Town Council website.
Our intention has always been to ensure the TNP reflects the community views, that it is positively prepared (this is a legal requirement) and – crucially – that it will be robust to future changes in housing allocations, whether that comes from Bassetlaw District Council updating its plan (for example to take account of the new major “green energy” projects which are not far from us), or from the future change to an as-yet undefined Unitary Authority.
The housing requirement explained
The Bassetlaw District Council Plan includes a requirement for 20% growth for Tuxford in the period 2020-2038. This corresponds to 252 residential units of all types, with 35% of these designated as “affordable” (88 units). This is a legal requirement – we cannot refuse this number, however, we can (and have) chosen to decide where they go, what sort of properties they are and what size of developments they are on. Of this total, 63 remain in total and 2 affordable.

HS14 is the “Strategic site” and lies on the south side of Ollerton Road, immediately to the west of The Pastures development. This is cited for development for 75 units. Note there will be a requirement for an S106 for this site, prior to its development, for a total of £713,557. This must be spent on providing the categorised infrastructure, including £500K for school buildings.

Type and Location of additional housing
We asked what people wanted to see in terms of new housing for Tuxford. The feedback is contained in the report titled “Briefing note on the type, location and development size mix of new housing in Tuxford”. In it, given that if Tuxford residents do not provide a set of options for housing within the TNP, then BDC (or any future authority) will decide for themselves. 86% of respondents thought this was the least preferred outcome.
The most preferred areas are – in preference order
1. HS14 on Ollerton Road – but no more developments over 30 houses once this is done
2.Immediately to the east of the railway line, thus extending Tuxford further east
3.Immediately to the south of Tuxford Academy, towards Lodge Lane industrial estate
4.Along the north side of Lincoln Road, either 9or both) infilling to the west or the railway line or adding to the north (where the caravan site is now)
5.South of Lexington Gardens – however note comments to the Site Options report below

There was feedback on the type of housing (3 and 4 bed houses mainly with some 2 bed) and development size (primarily more, smaller sites and nothing larger than 30 units)

Land Availability update
BDC ran a Land Availability Assessment via a Call For Sites (CFS) in around 2020, for their Local Plan.
An important note to make is that just because land is put forward by an owner, it DOES NOT MEAN IT WILL BE DEVELOPED. It is simply assessed, independently, in accordance with a set of guidelines which are uniform nationwide. The outcome of that assessment is that a site could be considered either: “green” – suitable, with no constraints, no conditions and no external limitations, this is extremely rare. Or it could be “red” considered unsuitable in its submitted form. A site that is red may contain recommendations which, if complied with, could renter a part of it suitable. For example, a site may be too large but a smaller part of it could be considered potentially suitable subject to conditions.
This leaves a central “amber” group. This is “potentially suitable” and covers all of the sites in Tuxford which are not considered unsuitable (there are no “green” sites). All of these could be suitable, but with provisions and conditions, which are explained site-by-site in the relevant assessment.
As with any site, even if it were to be “green” this LAA process DOES NOT CONFER PLANNING PERMISSION OR MEAN A SITE WILL BE DEVELOPED. The sites in Tuxford are either red (would never get planning permission as they are, as the LAA has defined them as unsuitable) or amber, in which case any application for Planning Permission would only be considered with full process.
As at least one landowner had come forward to ask whether there would be an opportunity to add to this, so a Tuxford CFS was carried out, and assessed independently.
The results were that all of the previous sites were carried forward and considered individually in case their suitability had changed. Two additional sites came forward (both, coincidentally, smaller sites along the north side of Lincoln Road) and two previously defined sites were re-submitted. One was submitted unchanged (small sites on north side of Ollerton Road, which would be opposite HS14) and the other being south of Lexington Gardens – original LA202. This proposed to split it into two parts, a small western part essentially where the farm yard is now, and a larger part to the east. This whole area was put forward by BDC for development and engendered a great deal of negative sentiment, primarily about access. It was therefore – as a whole site – turned down.
The results can be read in the accompanying report “Draft SOA Report v2”. The first thing to note is that this is final, even though it is identified as Draft. I have requested a version labelled final, which I am sure will arrive at some point…
This includes an updated LAA map, an overall set of text about the process and compliance with legislation, and the list of sites with their assessed traffic light and the text assessment of each.
It also includes a set of sites which would be considered acceptable (all are amber, so there are provisions and constraints on all). Note that this has not been filtered by the community input. The full list includes some sites which are defined as being suitable (partly). This means that a smaller sub-area of each, if brought forward, could be acceptable subject to constraints. They are, coincidentally, all in the ownership of the same family and the family was contacted with a view to providing an update of a preferred smaller area (the area proposed being simply a representative pro-forma). However, there was no interest in providing smaller areas, and therefore these are deemed unacceptable in current form for the current Neighbourhood Plan/Local Plan period (2020-2038).
In addition, there are sites which are deemed potentially suitable, but which are nevertheless too large to be acceptable in terms of both the community site size preferences and the overall remaining housing allocation.
We are developing a pragmatic approach to housing provision and we shall be discussing with BDC Neighbourhood Planning about the best approach with regards to both of these sites. It would seem fairest to recognise that the relevant owners may choose to bring smaller parts of these forward for planning at some point, which would then be a valuable contribution to Tuxford.

Housing Needs Assessment update
The next document is the updated HNA (Housing Needs Assessment). This has also been renewed, and therefore replaces the HNA dating from around 2016. The key point here is that the assessment has been done in compliance with the current BDC Local Plan, rather than the previous version. This includes some key points, including specifc reference to the need for specialist housing for older people, which includes not only “sheltered” type assisted living but also the needs for good quality market dormer bungalows with sufficient bedrooms, garage and garden to entice current “empty nesters” to downsize.
There is much about affordability criteria, which is calculated according to their own standard methodology. I could not understand this, because it seemed not to take into consideration the availability of equity from a previous house sale when considering general affordability (i.e. not only for first time buyers). Multiple requests for explanation from AECOM, the report’s authors, went
unanswered. In a conversation with Will Wilson at BDC Neighbourhood Planning group, it seems this error has not been noticed before, which seems remarkable. For reference, nationwide, 94% of UK mortgages have less than 90% loan-to-value ratio – in other words, the report’s affordability criteria only applies to 6% of UK housing.
This also requires explanation and some local data to support the views. Dawn Clark, of Clark Estates, has kindly undertaken to work with the NPG on this.
One issue that is relevant is the requirement for affordable housing. Whilst we have met the “policy requirement” imposed of 35%, which isa number pulled out of thin air, this has been met. However, there is a complementary requirement for all developments of 10 units or more to include 25% affordable. There is a preference for rental – driven by the erroneous economic affordability model noted above. We would suggest there is already too much rental in Tuxford and new housing should reflect the expressed need, rather than a top-down model. The firs report on housing requirements identified that three quarters of all respondents were looking to buy, rather than rent. Affordable housing should therefore be along the lines of joint ownership or 20% below market with a provision that this reduction be carried forwards.

Design Codes for Tuxford
The final report is the Tuxford Design Codes document. This explains what houses should look like and how they should be laid out, in terms of each sub-area of Tuxford. It also contains a pro-forma layout for HS14.
This explains how buildings look, how they should be laid out and the sort of colour palette that should apply, within the various sub-areas in Tuxford. It is very comprehensive. However, it does not specifically define how buildings should look when not in these areas. Again, this will be taken into consideration but it seems reasonable to apply the codes applying to the Conservation Area (but applied in a pragmatic way) to developments along the main roads into/out of Tuxford; for example, the gradual build-up of density and the layout when entering from the north via the Great North Road and Eldon Street provides an excellent model to apply elsewhere. Where this does not apply, and buildings are either within the town or would extend it away from the main roads, then the goal should be to align with the adjacent Design Code area. However, this will be finalised with BDC in the coming weeks.

Proposed update to Development Boundary Map
This has bene published as a proposal previously, and there was only one proposed amendment (which is small) BDC have accepted that and a final proposal version will be provided soon.

Latest News

September 2025

Planning Tuxford’s Future – Have Your Say

Tuxford’s Neighbourhood Plan is moving to its next stage, and we need your views. This plan will guide how our town develops in the years ahead – shaping the number, location, and type of new homes, as well as the potential for new community facilities, infrastructure, and employment opportunities.

The Bassetlaw Local Plan sets a minimum requirement of 252 new homes in Tuxford between 2020 and 2038. With 189 homes already built, permitted, or allocated, the residual minimum is 63 new homes.

We are now asking residents to help us decide the overall ambition for housing growth in Tuxford before moving on to the detail. Two options are being considered:

Option 1 – Meet the requirement: Identify sites for 63 additional homes, meeting the minimum requirement.
Option 2 – Go beyond the requirement: Take a more ambitious approach by planning for more than 63 new homes, which could provide more choice in housing and potentially unlock new infrastructure and facilities.
Your feedback is vital. One of these options will be chosen for inclusion in the Neighbourhood Plan.

Read the full document here or scan the QR code in the document to take part in the short online questionnaire.

Help us shape Tuxford’s future – your voice matters.

Planning Tuxford Consultation (PDF, 141 Kb)
Attached

July 2025

Request for input and comments – proposed updates to Tuxford Development Boundary

What is sought: Input and comments to the changes proposed

How to respond: by written input, dropped at the Tuxford Town Council post box at the Beeches Centre, or by email to rw.tuxfordtc@gmail.com

When to respond by: prior to 15th August, 2025

Please note prior to commenting:

The Development Boundary (DB) is the thick black line drawn on the adjacent map. A DP is used to define the total extent of the permanently built form for a settlement. As such, it excludes areas such as caravan sites, storage yards or sites such as playing fields and allotments, which may feature small or temporary structures.

The most recent update added the Ashvale Road development but not other recent developments, so BDC is open to a further update. The changes proposed include additions in green (these are built areas currently outside the DB) and deletions in red (primarily Tuxford Academy playing fields), which is consistent with BDC policy but also supports the long-term survival of these playing fields when the Academy PFI expires.

Previous Updates

We would like to alert you that Tuxford Town Council (TTC) is currently in the process of updating our Neighbourhood Plan.

We are doing this in part to maximise the scope of the Plan but also to ensure we are fully compliant with the new Bassetlaw District Plan, just adopted.

As part of this process, we are issuing a formal Call for Sites to identify land within the Tuxford area that may be suitable for future development. Previously, Bassetlaw District Council (BDC) ran a Call for Sites and produced a Land Availability Assessment (LAA). A copy of this map is available at (Land Availability Assessment January 2022).

BDC has advised TTC that a new Call for Sites should be part of the Plan as some of the current sites may no longer be available and others are likely to be submitted.

If you are the owner of any of the sites assessed as ‘Potentially Suitable’, and wish for these to go forward unchanged, that will happen automatically. If you wish to re-submit a smaller part of any site, please submit a new application as below.

If you are the owner of any of the sites deemed ‘unsuitable’ but feel that you could make some change (subset of area, improved access, etc), which could change the assessment, please feel free to update the site and re-submit it as below.

If you are the owner of any site not included in the previous LAA, please submit it as below.

The Neighbourhood Plan will play a key role in shaping the future development of Tuxford, providing local residents and stakeholders with a voice in how the town evolves.

The Call for Sites is an opportunity for landowners to put forward land they believe could be considered for housing, employment, recreational spaces, or other community uses. You do NOT need to do any layout, or assessment of deliverable housing unit yields for any site. This will be done as part of the assessment process.

All submitted sites will be consolidated and then assessed by independent experts (AECOM), rather than by BDC. TTC will not be a party to the assessment process, in order to ensure it is objective.

AECOM will assess all sites using a standardized methodology and will report back with a full report of their assessment on each site.

If you would like to submit your land for consideration, we kindly ask you to provide the following details:
1. Site location and boundaries (a site map would be helpful).
2. The Land Registry Number of the site (if you are submitting a part of a site, then the underlying overall title number)
3. Proposed use of the land (e.g., housing, commercial, green space, etc. – you can propose mixed use).
4. Any relevant planning history or background information about the site.
5. Contact details for further discussions.

Please submit your responses by 29 November 2024 to ensure that your site can be included in the assessment process.

All sites submitted will be reviewed and assessed by AECOM in accordance with BDC Plan Policies and the objectives of the emerging Neighbourhood Plan. While submitting a site does not guarantee that it will be allocated for development, it ensures that it will be considered in the preparation of the plan.

Note that the adopted BDC Plan makes the following statement concerning sites identified via a Neighbourhood Plan (Para 7.1.11)

Quote: Infrastructure provision for the other sites will be sought through on site delivery, and/or a CIL charge and/or planning obligations, and secured via planning conditions, legal agreements or other appropriate mechanisms. Unquote.

A written clarification from BDC Planning states this means that sites submitted via a CFS and included in a Made Neighbourhood Plan will only be subject to CIL and potentially Planning Conditions.

We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to your participation in shaping the future of Tuxford.

Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at clerk@tuxfordtowncouncil.gov.uk

The Neighbourhood Plan for Tuxford

What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

Neighbourhood Plans are a means by which local communities can have some control over future planning developments. They cannot prevent new developments but they can dictate what form those developments may take, for example affordable starter homes rather than “executive” luxury housing or in-fill rather than greenfield developments. When passed and approved by the local authority they are a legally enforceable document.

What is the process?

The Town Council or a delegated sub-committee, (as is the case in Tuxford), of councillors and local residents are responsible for a process of public consultations and surveys to establish what sort of housing developments residents would like to see in their neighbourhood. Just as importantly, what they don’t want to see developed. As a result of these consultations a Neighbourhood Plan is drafted and presented to the Town Council for approval or redrafting. When approved the Council submits the Plan to the District Council for their approval. An important point here is that when drafting the Plan it must be consistent with the District Councils overall Plan for Bassetlaw. When passed by the District Council the Plan then must go to an external assessor before reaching the final stage of a referendum for residents to either approve or reject the Plan. We currently have a Neighbourhood Plan but we are now in the process of arranging a consultation for SITE ALLOCATIONS.

10 July 2025

Request for input and comments – proposed updates to Tuxford Development Boundary

What is sought: Input and comments to the changes proposed

How to respond: by written input, dropped at the Tuxford Town Council post box at the Beeches Centre, or by email to rw.tuxfordtc@gmail.com

When to respond by: prior to 15th August, 2025

Please note prior to commenting:

The Development Boundary (DB) is the thick black line drawn on the adjacent map. A DP is used to define the total extent of the permanently built form for a settlement. As such, it excludes areas such as caravan sites, storage yards or sites such as playing fields and allotments, which may feature small or temporary structures.

The most recent update added the Ashvale Road development but not other recent developments, so BDC is open to a further update. The changes proposed include additions in green (these are built areas currently outside the DB) and deletions in red (primarily Tuxford Academy playing fields), which is consistent with BDC policy but also supports the long-term survival of these playing fields when the Academy PFI expires.