Neighbourhood Plan
What is Neighbourhood Planning?
Neighbourhood planning enables communities to play a much stronger role in shaping the areas in which they live and work and in supporting new development proposals. This is because unlike the parish, village or town plans that communities may have prepared, a neighbourhood plan forms part of the development plan and sits alongside the local plan prepared by the local planning authority. Decisions on planning applications will be made using both the local plan and the neighbourhood plan, and any other material considerations.
Who can prepare a Neighbourhood Plan?
Unlike Local Plans, Neighbourhood Plans are not prepared by the local planning authority. A Neighbourhood Plan can be created by either the Parish council or a Neighbourhood forum.
Lea and Cleverton Parish created the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (NPSG) comprising of community volunteers to create our Neighbourhood Plan. The NPSG work in conjunction with the community with support from the Parish Council and the local planning authority.
For more information on the process to create and agree a Neighbourhood plan please see the following websites: Does our Parish need a Neighbourhood Plan?
In spring 2019 the NPSG conducted a survey to understand the views of our Parish, full details of the findings can be found here.
The majority of respondents across our Parish felt that between 5 and 10 new homes would be needed within our Parish over the next 10 years. This indicates that a Neighbourhood Plan would be valuable to ensure that any development is both in keeping with the needs of the Parish and to protect the character of the local area.
Does a neighbourhood plan have the same legal status as the local plan?
A neighbourhood plan attains the same legal status as a local plan (and other documents that form part of the statutory development plan) once it has been approved at a referendum. At this point it comes into force as part of the statutory development plan. Applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
Neighbourhood planning enables communities to play a much stronger role in shaping the areas in which they live and work and in supporting new development proposals. This is because unlike the parish, village or town plans that communities may have prepared, a neighbourhood plan forms part of the development plan and sits alongside the local plan prepared by the local planning authority. Decisions on planning applications will be made using both the local plan and the neighbourhood plan, and any other material considerations.
Who can prepare a Neighbourhood Plan?
Unlike Local Plans, Neighbourhood Plans are not prepared by the local planning authority. A Neighbourhood Plan can be created by either the Parish council or a Neighbourhood forum.
Lea and Cleverton Parish created the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (NPSG) comprising of community volunteers to create our Neighbourhood Plan. The NPSG work in conjunction with the community with support from the Parish Council and the local planning authority.
For more information on the process to create and agree a Neighbourhood plan please see the following websites: Does our Parish need a Neighbourhood Plan?
In spring 2019 the NPSG conducted a survey to understand the views of our Parish, full details of the findings can be found here.
The majority of respondents across our Parish felt that between 5 and 10 new homes would be needed within our Parish over the next 10 years. This indicates that a Neighbourhood Plan would be valuable to ensure that any development is both in keeping with the needs of the Parish and to protect the character of the local area.
Does a neighbourhood plan have the same legal status as the local plan?
A neighbourhood plan attains the same legal status as a local plan (and other documents that form part of the statutory development plan) once it has been approved at a referendum. At this point it comes into force as part of the statutory development plan. Applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
Creating our Neighbourhood Plan
At a high level the following steps are followed to define our Neighbourhood plan;
At a high level the following steps are followed to define our Neighbourhood plan;
- Determine if a plan is valuable Complete
- Agree the neighbourhood area with the local planning authority Complete
- Establish the neighbourhood forum Complete
- Draft Vision, Objectives and Aims Complete
- Gather evidence – in progress
- Draft policy – in progress
- Independent examination of the plan – scheduled
- Referendum – scheduled
- Made Plan
A Neighbourhood Plan is an important and legal document to be considered for all future development. It is created by our community for our community and parishioners. It will be consulted on throughout the process leading up to the referendum where you will have the opportunity to vote whether or not to accept the plan. We are currently in the process of applying for grant funding which will allow us to enlist the services of an experienced consultant to support us in the preparation of our Plan. As noted above in mid-2019 we conducted a Parish wide survey to gather data and parishioner’s views on a wide range of issues, and we will shortly publish an intended schedule for future consultation. Based on that, and whilst the past and present situation regarding COVid 19 places inevitable constraints on our progress, our current intention is to prepare draft policies and a draft planning statement by the spring of 2021
The NPSG members are all volunteers living within our Parish who care about our Parish and our local environment. The NPSG is an open group and we welcome volunteers. If you are interested in learning more or taking part in defining the future of Lea and Cleverton Parish please do get in touch. There are a wide range of topics we need to gather information on in order to inform policies, from transport, to local environmental issues. In joining the NPSG you will have the opportunity to define the policy which will shape our parish for the future.
The NPSG members are all volunteers living within our Parish who care about our Parish and our local environment. The NPSG is an open group and we welcome volunteers. If you are interested in learning more or taking part in defining the future of Lea and Cleverton Parish please do get in touch. There are a wide range of topics we need to gather information on in order to inform policies, from transport, to local environmental issues. In joining the NPSG you will have the opportunity to define the policy which will shape our parish for the future.