Neighbourhood Plan
A neighbourhood plan is a community-led document that sets out planning policies and a shared vision for the development and use of land in a specific local area.
Introduced in England under the Localism Act 2011, it gives local people and grassroots bodies real statutory power to shape their communities.
The local plan and Government:
- Legal Status: Once approved by an independent examination and a local community referendum, a neighbourhood plan becomes part of the official Local Development Plan (sitting alongside the wider district or borough council’s Local Plan).
- Decision Making: Local planning authorities must use the neighbourhood plan as a statutory framework when making decisions on local planning applications and appeals.
- Who Leads It: In areas with a parish or town council, that local body leads the plan's creation.
What a Neighbourhood Plan Can Do
- Allocate Sites: Designate specific land for new housing, shops, employment, or community facilities.
- Shape Design: Define local design standards, building heights, or what new structures should look like.
- Protect Assets: Safeguard important local green spaces, heritage sites, and environmental features.
- Boost Funding: Parishes with an adopted plan receive a higher percentage (often 25%) of revenues from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to spend on local projects.
Key Rules and Limitations
- No Veto: A neighbourhood plan is designed to guide and steer growth, not to stop development altogether.
- Conformity: It cannot promote less development than what is already required by the broader local authority’s strategic Local Plan, and it must align with national planning policies.