In September 2005, Sandon Parish Council set up a Village Design Statement Association to produce a Village Design Statement (VDS) for the parish. Sandon parish comprises Sandon Village, Howe Green, Butts Green and environs, as shown on the map (click ). The VDS Association is an community group run by a committee of residents, some of whom are Sandon Parish Councillors. The Association is financed by Sandon Parish Council and grants from other organisations.

The VDS gives residents the opportunity to influence future developments in the parish. It cannot prevent developments but it can provide guidance on any developments that do occur. It will be used by the Parish Council and planners at borough and county level, so it can have quite an effect on the future of the area.

As a resident you know your area best. The VDS is your opportunity to identify the good and the bad. The resultant guidelines can make Sandon a better place. The VDS is intended to give planners, developers and property owners an insight into what Sandon is like and thus prevent unsightly and inappropriate developments. This principle applies to both large and small developments. It can thus influence planning permissions for individual applications, so the VDS is also relevant for owners and developers.

You may have seen from the local press that the government intends building some 14,000 new houses in the Chelmsford Borough by 2021. These will have to go somewhere. If it is decided that some will be located in our parish, the VDS will give us some influence as to the manner of that development.

The essence of a good VDS is involvement of the community in its creation. The more involvement is evident, the more weight the VDS will carry with planners and developers.