Sussex Diary: Neighbourhood Plans

Under the Localism Act (2011) a new form of planning control & development was introduced - Neighbourhood Plans. This empowers local communities giving them a major role in the planning system and allowing them to shaping the development in their areas.

This guide is designed to get a village, town or area group started in understanding what a neighbourhood plan is. It is focused on the South Downs National Park area. For more information follow the links at the end of this blog.

This is where the neighbourhood plan fits into the planning system:

For the town or neighbourhood:

It may only be for the town, parish or area

but it can have a major impact on

protecting, developing

and improving the area.

To quote a government planning inspector: 'neighbourhood plans are about land use.' What is the make up of a neighbourhood plan? Quite simply in the end the plan will be made up of these main sections:

What aspects of our local community and area can a neighbourhood plan have an effect on? Here are some examples:

Some general principles for Neighbourhood Plans:

While a Neighbourhood Plan is flexible to some extent in terms of what can be included, you cannot put whatever you like in it:

A Neighbourhood Plan can…

Decide where and what type of development should happen in the neighbourhood.
Promote more development than is set out in the Local Plan.
Include policies, for example regarding design standards, that take precedence over existing policies in the Local Plan for the neighbourhood – provided the Neighbourhood Plan policies do not conflict with the strategic policies in the Local Plan.

A Neighbourhood Plan cannot…

Conflict with the strategic policies in the Local Plan prepared by the local planning authority.
Be used to prevent development that is included in the Local Plan.
Be prepared by a body other than a parish or town council or a neighbourhood forum.
What can a Neighbourhood Plan contain?

So long as your Neighbourhood Plan complies with the above principles, it can be as narrow or as broad as you wish. But it must be primarily about the use and development of land and buildings. It can also have a say in how buildings should look (their ‘design’), or the materials they are constructed from.

Typical things that a Neighbourhood Plan might include:

The development of housing, including affordable housing and bringing vacant or derelict housing back into use.
Provision for businesses to set up or expand their premises.
Transport and access (including issues around roads, cycling, walking and access for disabled people).
The development of schools, places of worship, health facilities, leisure and entertainment facilities, community and youth centres and village halls.
The restriction of certain types of development and change of use, for example to avoid too much of one type of use.
The design of buildings.
Protection and creation of open space, nature reserves, allotments, sports pitches, play areas, parks and gardens, and the planting of trees.
Protection of important buildings and historic assets such as archaeological remains.
Promotion of renewable energy projects, such as solar energy and wind turbines.