Neighbourhood Plans

Step 1: Designating a neighbourhood area

First define your neighbourhood plan area. This is often the parish or town council area, although this can be reduced or extended if it is justified and agreed with by adjoining councils. The Authority is responsible for formally approving a neighbourhood planning area.

Areas that cover the whole area of the parish council are automatically designated as a Neighbourhood Area, however the Parish Council must register an interest with us to become a relevant body to produce a Neighbourhood Plan.

We will:

• Advise communities on the processes involved in applying for the designation of a Neighbourhood Area and the information required.
• Determine an application to become a relevant body within eight weeks of receiving the application.
• Provide a map showing the boundary for the Neighbourhood Plan Area for the purposes of Neighbourhood Area Designation. For all other mapping requests, we can provide support on Parish Online mapping system which will allow a community group to produce its own maps.
• Check and confirm receipt of any Neighbourhood Area application it receives and advise the applying qualifying body of any requirements omitted.
• [For applications which fall within the areas of two or more local planning authorities] Publicise the application for comment in accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2015, in a manner as we consider is likely to bring the area application to the attention of people who live, work or carry on business in the area to which the application relates. This includes through the Authority’s website, local and social media, local libraries / inspection points and by writing to relevant organisations, businesses and individuals.
• Determine the application 20 weeks from when it was first advertised, if the applications falls within the areas of two or more local planning authorities.
• Publicise our decision on our website and notify the qualifying body.

Step 2: Preparing a draft neighbourhood plan

Prepare a programme of work.

• The tasks that need to be undertaken at each stage.
• What resources will be needed to undertake the tasks (people, venues, materials, funding etc.)
• How much time each stage will take.

Do not underestimate how much time it will take to organise public consultation events and materials and to analyse the responses received. Allow adequate time for this.

Decide which issues the neighbourhood plan can address, and which are outside the scope of the neighbourhood plan. It must generally conform to the strategic policies in the Local Plan

Be clear on what the neighbourhood plan is aiming to achieve. Consider developing a vison and/or objectives. And also consider options or reasonable alternatives should a Sustainability Appraisal be required.

Draft policies to set out the key details of what you want to happen. And include supporting text to justify the policy and explain what it is that the neighbourhood plan is really trying to achieve.

Include a proposals map if land is to be allocated for a specific use. A Sustainability Appraisal may be required which will need to be developed in parallel with the neighbourhood plan.

We will advise or assist the working group in developing policies and proposals, focussed particularly on content and conformity with the strategic policies in the Local Plan and the ‘basic conditions’. This could be through email, telephone conversations and attending meetings. Our ability to respond as soon as possible will be governed by resources at the time of the request.

We will:

• Provide information on adopted Local Plan policies with which any Neighbourhood Plan will need to be in general conformity.
• Provide advice on which issues are considered to be relevant planning matters and are suitable for inclusion in Neighbourhood Plans.
• Provide information on relevant European and National legislation and policies.
• Share existing information and evidence base work held by the Authority as appropriate and provide advice on areas where new evidence may be required or beneficial to support the preparation of the Plan.
• Provide constructive comments on the emerging plan and other supporting documents and advise if the plan falls short on the basic conditions. We will provide a formal view on whether the Neighbourhood Plan meets the basic conditions.
• Carry out screening /scoping to identify and provide an opinion on the need for a Strategic Environmental Assessment or Habitats Regulations Assessment.

We will not:

• Undertake consultation exercises, distribute consultation questionnaires, collect, collate or analyse responses on behalf of communities for consultation arising from requirements placed on qualifying bodies in the Regulations.
• Provide project management services for the production of the Neighbourhood Plan.
• Produce a neighbourhood plan on a communities behalf or draft the policies in the Neighbourhood Plan
• Undertake the Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Regulations Assessment or Appropriate Assessment, even if these are required. Those undertaking a Neighbourhood Plan will be expected to make appropriate arrangements for undertaking these, which may include hiring consultants.

Step 3: Pre-submission publicity and consultation

Once the neighbourhood plan has been prepared a formal round of public consultation is required with the community. The relevant body must publicise the draft neighbourhood plan for at least six weeks in accordance with the Regulations, this includes sending us a copy and consulting with statutory consultees. This consultation will allow you to make any necessary changes that come forward from comments made by the public in advance of submitting the plan for examination.
If a Sustainability Appraisal has been prepared this should be consulted on at the same time.
We will:

• Advise whether all the documents and the consultation process are in order
• Publicise the consultation on our website