What is a neighbourhood plan?
A neighbourhood plan is a document that sets out planning policies for your area and can:
- Protect local green spaces;
- Encourage better designed places;
- Bring forward housing that genuinely meets local needs.
It’s written by the local community and helps get the right types of development in the right place.
What is a neighbourhood development order?
A neighbourhood development order grants planning permission for the development you want to see in your area. The permission can be for building houses and community facilities or for alterations across your area (e.g. encouraging housing through giving permission to change the upper floors of shops to flats).
Why do a neighbourhood plan?
Local communities are preparing neighbourhood development plans (NDPs) to tackle the issues that matter locally, from increasing the supply of affordable housing, safeguarding green spaces and improving the local environment. NDPs give local people a statutory power to shape the future of their area as made NDPs becomes part of the planning framework for the area. As a result, the delivery of housing, economic growth and movement towards net zero is being facilitated by neighbourhood planning groups in so many communities.
Thousands of volunteers have been and continue to prepare neighbourhood plans. Over 1,000 plans have been created, with more in the pipeline, involving over 2,400 groups to date. All those groups (town or parish councils or neighbourhood forums) with made NDPs have also benefited from 25% of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charged in their area. This funding is supporting the delivery of local infrastructure projects.
Neighbourhood planning has become integrated into local development plans and valued by many local authorities for supporting the delivery of their priorities. This includes driving the supply of housing through the allocation of sites and creating opportunities for projects that ensure local areas can mitigate and adapt to climate change. Neighbourhood planning has shown how local communities can have a valuable voice in local planning and how they get behind growth agendas when developments accommodate local needs and aspirations around designing a good place to live.
Community groups, parish councils and local planning authorities are stressing the continued importance of neighbourhood planning. This includes neighbourhood planning groups who are just forming, to those part way through developing a NDP; and those remaking their NDP because of the passage of time. Others are considering “Is a NDP the right thing for our area?”
Although the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have decided, as a result of the spending review 2025, that they cannot proceed with commissioning new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025, groups and local authorities are keen to continue the work. The legislative framework (the Localism Act 2011 and the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012) remain in place.
Locality believes there is a need for the engagement of communities in planning and development plan making and is therefore disappointed by the Government’s decision not to provide further support for the neighbourhood planning support services. We also recognise the challenges that many neighbourhood planning groups and local authorities face in light of this decision. We believe in the power of neighbourhood plans to shape the future of local areas and want to see neighbourhood planning and more widely community engagement and involvement in planning grow.
How can Locality support?
Our consultancy service has chartered RTPI planners who are experienced in working with neighbourhood planning groups, community groups and local authorities on a range of plans and development proposals across rural and urban areas. They can help groups think through is neighbourhood planning is the best route to achieving their aspirations. If yes, they can help groups to get started and navigate every stage of the statutory process, from securing formal designation of their group and proposed neighbourhood plan area, to consulting with the community and statutory bodies, and getting plans ready for Examination and referendum.