Warmington has a Village Design Statement which was written in 2004 as a first attempt at neighbourhood community planning. It characterises the types of buildings and building materials found in Warmington, and describes their setting within the village and wider countryside. It was mainly put together by a group of village volunteers with community engagement and support. However, because it is only an advisory document not a statutory one (that is having legal force) its practical impact has been limited.
The Warmington Neighbourhood Plan, however, will be statutory, and so including within it elements of an updated VDS will give its recommendations real weight.
In parallel to the community making the Neighbourhood Plan, ENC is also considering making part of the village a Conservation Area. Work towards this would contribute to the updated VDS and provide the evidence to transform the VDS ‘Guidelines for Development’ into statutory policies within the Neighbourhood Plan.