The purpose of Neighbourhood Plans
Parish councils can use neighbourhood planning to:
- Set planning policies through Neighbourhood Plans to determine decisions on planning applications.
- Grant planning permission through Neighbourhood Development Orders and Community Right to Build Orders for specific development which complies with the order.
The ambition of the neighbourhood should be aligned with the strategic needs and priorities of the wider local area. Neighbourhood Plans must generally conform to the strategic policies of the Local Plan and reflect the policies in the Local Plan.
Neighbourhood Plans and Orders should not promote less development than set out in the Local Plan or undermine its strategic policies.
The process of preparing a Neighbourhood Plan
As a first step Parish Councils are required to submit an application to the District Council to designate a Neighbourhood Area. Applications will be published on this web page. When a draft Neighbourhood Plan has been produced it will need to be submitted for a formal examination in front of an independent inspector. If the Plan is found to be sound it will then be the subject of a local referendum, if the referendum agrees to the Plan the District Council will then adopt the Neighbourhood Plan as part of the statutory development plan for the area.
The Royal Town Planning Institute and Planning Aid have a Neighbourhood Planning Forum for groups involved in Neighbourhood Planning or who are interested in the process.