Neighbourhood planning is a way for communities to guide the future development of the places where they live and work. It allows people to come together to say where they think new houses, businesses and shops should go, what they should look like, and in some cases grant planning permission for these developments.
Communities can choose to:
- Set policies and/or allocate sites for new development as part of a neighbourhood plan; or
- Grant planning permission for specific types of small-scale development as part of a neighbourhood development order or a community right to build order.
Once a neighbourhood plan is passed (or ‘made’), it becomes part of the development plan for an area and is used to decide planning applications. For more information see: how does a neighbourhood plan fit with a Local Plan?
How is neighbourhood planning agreed?
All neighbourhood planning proposals must go through a number of stages before they can be brought into force. These can be summarised as:
1. Define the neighbourhood area
Local planning authorities (LPAs) first need to agree or ‘designate' a neighbourhood area (the area where neighbourhood planning policies will apply). In areas with a parish or town council, the parish/town council will take the lead on neighbourhood planning. Where no parish/town council exists then a neighbourhood forum must take the lead.
2. Plan preparation
The parish/town council or neighbourhood forum facilitates and organises the process of plan preparation, helping people to develop solutions to address key local issues.
Although the scope and content of each plan will vary, there are some requirements, known as the ‘basic conditions’, that must be considered as the plan or order is developed. For example, they must be in line with relevant strategic planning policies in the Local Plan (or spatial development strategy), they must have special regard to listed buildings and conservation areas, and be compatible with equalities, environmental and human rights legislation.
Once prepared, the draft plan or order is publicised and made available for comments to all people within the neighbourhood (within the area of the plan) for at least six weeks. Statutory consultees are also consulted.
The draft plan is then formally submitted to the local planning authority, who check that all the relevant information that needs to accompany the draft plan or order has been submitted.
3. Submission and Examination
If satisfied that all the relevant elements have been included, the LPA then asks an appropriately qualified and independent inspector to ‘examine’ the plan or order. Examination involves checking that the plan or order meets the ‘basic conditions’. It also takes written representations from statutory consultees.
Subject to the approval of the Examiner, the local authority then and organises a community referendum. All people living in the neighbourhood area and are registered to vote in local elections will be entitled to vote. If the majority vote in favour, the neighbourhood plan or order is made.
For more information on neighbourhood planning, including what support is available for those wishing to produce a neighbourhood plan or neighbourhood development order visit Locality’s website here.