Parish Council Considering a Neighbourhood Plan

Added on 25 March 2019

A Neighbourhood Plan for Sutton Cheney Parish?

Are you happy living in Shenton, Sutton Cheney or Dadlington?

How do you want your villages to develop over the next 10 years?

What improvements would you like to see and which areas would you like to protect?

Did you know that YOU could influence these planning decisions?

A Neighbourhood Plan provides everyone with the opportunity to do just this. It is led by the Parish Council but driven by local people representing areas across the Parish.

Sutton Cheney Parish Council are considering a Neighbourhood Plan but need to gauge whether we have enough support from the local community.

If you would like to get involved in the formation of a Steering Group or require more information, please contact the Parish Clerk at suttoncheneypc@gmail.com or call 01455 699618

What is Neighbourhood Planning?                                                                     

The Localism Act introduced new rights and powers to allow local communities to plan new development in their area and therefore help to decide the future of the places where they live and work. Neighbourhood planning empowers communities to shape the development and growth of a local area through the production of a Neighbourhood Development Plan.

Who is involved in it? Who can produce a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP)?                             

The Parish/Town Council is considered as the qualifying body and will be responsible for creating the NDP.  Once designated, a steering group is normally formed to provide the platform to create a NDP and anyone with a connection to the area may join the steering group.

Why get involved? Why Bother?

In the past the relationship between planning and local communities has been reactive. People have made comments about planning documents, policies, applications, etc. whereas with neighbourhood planning the relationship between planning and local communities has become more proactive. The community now gets to decide policies that will in the future be used to judge future planning applications.

How does it work? What is the process?

NDPs are focussed with neighbourhood areas, therefore each NDP will be slightly different. But there are five basic steps to creating an NDP. The five basic Steps are:

1. Define the neighbourhood.                                                                                                                                                                                               The parish or town council steering group formally submit a neighbourhood area application to local authority. The local authority publicises the application for a minimum of six weeks.

2. Prepare the plan.                         

Once approved the preparation of the plan can begin. The steering group will engage with the community, notify statutory consultees and build an evidence base to justify the eventual policies and proposals. There are numerous consultation tools available to the steering group. This stage must include a six week consultation period to publicise the proposals and consider responses.

3. Independent check. 

Once the plan has been completed the plan must be submitted to the local authority. The local authority will publicise the completed plan for six weeks. An independent examiner will be selected and he or she will be then examine the plan to make sure it conforms with all relevant rules and regulations, and consider any representation if he or she wishes. The examiner will recommend one of three options: that the Plan proceeds to a referendum, proceeds to referendum with amendments, or that it should not proceed.

4. Community referendum. 

If the plan passes the examination, then it will go to a referendum. The referendum ensures that the community has a final say on whether a neighbourhood development will come into force. The Council will organise the referendum. The majority (more than half) of people voting must vote yes to the plan for it to be adopted by the council. The people living in the area who are also registered to vote in local elections will be eligible to vote in the referendum. If the NDP will have significant implications on residents from neighbouring areas, the independent judicator may request that they also are given an opportunity to vote in the referendum. In areas where a business NDP is being created, the local businesses will also have a vote in the referendum.

5. Legal Force.   

If the majority of voters vote yes, the local authority will then bring the plan into force. The plan will then form part of the decision making process. Decision makers will be legally obliged to take into account the NDP when considering proposals for development in the neighbourhood area.

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