On Thursday, 7th May, residents voted overwhelmingly in favour to adopt the Virginia Water Neighbourhood Plan with 97% voting for on a turnout of almost 50%.
Runnymede Borough Council formally ‘made’ (adopted) the Virginia Water Neighbourhood Plan on 3 June 2026. The Plan now forms part of the statutory development plan for Runnymede, and will be used alongside the 2030 Local Plan, policy NRM6 of the South East Plan, and the Surrey County Minerals and Waste Plans to determine planning applications in the Virginia Water Neighbourhood Area.
A statement providing further details about this decision can be viewed on the Council’s Neighbourhood planning webpages. The Neighbourhood Plan and its supporting documents can also be viewed on this website.
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We're pleased to make the final plan available for download here >
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The aim of the Virginia Water Neighbourhood Plan is to make Virginia Water a better place to live and work.
A neighbourhood plan is a document that sets out planning policies for your area and can: Protect local green spaces; encourage better-designed places and bring forward housing that genuinely meets local needs. The Virginia Water Neighbourhood Plan has been prepared by a ‘Forum’ of volunteering residents in consultation with the community at large. Full details including the current status of the plan can been seen by following the link.
Our village should remain compact and intimate and any new development should support this primary goal. New built form should contribute to our public realm by offering facilities and amenities with a sense of visual continuity, activity and village life, even if those activities may sometimes be limited by the functionality and security of those buildings. This should be in its design or through the CIL that contributes to a specific neighbourhood public objective or amenity.
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Our collective goal is to make Virginia Water a better place for living safely by improved connectivity and accessibility, living well through improvements to open space, landscaping and infrastructure and support a family-oriented housing offer by improvements to our recreation, learning and achievement facilities. Those who live in Virginia Water enjoy and cherish the quality and character of our landscape, public open spaces and, through our guardianship, wish to bestow this legacy to future generations.
We all value this urban area we live in.
We all value this urban area we live in.
Understanding Neighbourhood Planning
What is neighbourhood planning? Find out how neighbourhood planning can help you and your community decide their future. Find out more at mycommunity.org.uk
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What can a Neighbourhood Plan do? It can:
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What can't a Neighbourhood Plan do? It can't:
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Update - June 2023 - Policy Suggestions are now uploaded for comment
Following our initial surveys, fact finding and identifying those issues which residents and businesses considered the most important, we’ve spent the last 18 months turning these into actionable policies and initiatives which we believe meet this challenging brief – how to balance the desire to see better community facilities whilst defending our village from the relentless pressure of change.
As with any neighbourhood plan there are limits on what is achievable and how far our influence can go, and they have to be translated into policies which will shape and guide future development of the village.
These are now uploaded for comment on the Policy Suggestions section of the website
Following our initial surveys, fact finding and identifying those issues which residents and businesses considered the most important, we’ve spent the last 18 months turning these into actionable policies and initiatives which we believe meet this challenging brief – how to balance the desire to see better community facilities whilst defending our village from the relentless pressure of change.
As with any neighbourhood plan there are limits on what is achievable and how far our influence can go, and they have to be translated into policies which will shape and guide future development of the village.
These are now uploaded for comment on the Policy Suggestions section of the website
Overview of the Neighbourhood Plan
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The Neighbourhood Plan covers the area shown below and the land use planning document for Virginia Water that the Forum will produce must take into account the views of residents, businesses, and all that have a stake in our community and will cover many aspects of local development for example:
Housing What types of housing do we need in the Village, and where should they be located? Central Government is setting targets for the number of new homes and we can collectively identify the ideal locations that should be considered as most appropriate ensuring proper integration within our infrastructure to facilitate the growth and development of a proper community. |
Plan Boundary
Landscape and the Green Belt Virginia Water is open and retains a strong element of space and connection to the environment - how do we retain this whilst welcoming new dwellings into the community? |
Transport - Road and Rail Links
The previous 2030 Local Plan by Runnymede Council was rejected in part due to insufficient consultation on key transport corridors. Since then we have lost parking around the rail station through the loss of the Bourne Car Park Within the Neighbourhood Plan we can consider how transport links will be impacted by any new dwellings and what opportunities there are to make improvements. Schools, Shops and Amenities Virginia Water has outstanding local schools and active community centres. |
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Our Ask to You
Please take a few minutes to review the Policy Suggestions and provide feedback on them. We can then identify where changes may be required - if you'd rather share thoughts in person, that's fine too as we'll be hosting sessions over the summer for in person discussions. IMPORTANT: Don't forget to state which area you live and the area you are giving us your feedback on You can either fill in the form to the right, or if you'd prefer, simply email info@virginiawaterplan.org |
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What is the Neighbourhood Plan?
Like all Local Authorities, Runnymede Borough Council have to prepare a local plan to review housing, transport and other infrastructure needs. The Neighbourhood Plan has been set up by residents, for residents to feed into this |
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How to get involved
Over the coming months we will be holding a series of local meetings and listening sessions to understand what matters most to you about the local area and the types of development you would like to see in and around Virginia Water |
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Why does the Local Plan matter?
Local plans are prepared by the Local Planning Authority (LPA), usually the Council or the national park authority for the area. They typically cover the requirements for housing and infrastructure for the next 10 years, so it's important that local residents are consulted and can have their say - once approved it will dictate what happens in the local planning environment for a long time! |
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To contact the Virginia Water Neighbourhood Plan Forum email: info@virginiawaterplan.org
The Virginia Water Neighbourhood Forum is a not-for-profit organisation set up as an Unincorporated Association.
It is a Neighbourhood Forum as defined in the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 as amended by the Localism Act 2011.
The Virginia Water Neighbourhood Forum is a not-for-profit organisation set up as an Unincorporated Association.
It is a Neighbourhood Forum as defined in the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 as amended by the Localism Act 2011.