Neighbourhood Planning was introduced with the Localism Act in 2011 and gives local communities and business new powers to write planning policies through Neighbourhood Development Plans. A Neighbourhood Development Plan reflects their priorities, deliver tangible local benefits and has real weight in planning decisions and can ensure the right type of development for the community is accomplished, where the ambition of the neighbourhood is aligned with the strategic needs and priorities of the wider local area.
Neighbourhood Development Plans
In very simple terms, a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) is:
- A document that sets out planning policies for a specific neighbourhood area. Planning policies are then used to decide whether to approve planning applications, along with the adopted Local Plan.
- Written by the local community, the people who know and love the area, rather than the Local Planning Authority.
- A powerful tool to ensure the community gets the right types of development, in the right place.
- A Neighbourhood Development Plan is an important document with real legal force, therefore there are certain formal procedures that it must go through.
Neighbourhood Planning cannot be used to stop development happening, however it will allow communities to decide where they want new development to be built and what those new developments should look like.
The Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012 sets out the detailed arrangements which Neighbourhood Planning will have to follow.
The Parish or Town Council will be the responsible body for producing a Neighbourhood Plan. In areas where there is no Parish or Town Council, a Neighbourhood Forum can be established, providing the forum consists of a minimum of 21 individuals who live, work or represent the area.
Designating a Neighbourhood Area
At the start of the Neighbourhood Planning process, the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations requires the responsible body to designate the area which they intend to produce a Plan for. This is undertaken by an application to the Local Planning Authority.
Fylde Council as the Local Planning Authority has currently received the following Neighbourhood Area applications:
| Neighbourhood Area Applicant | Received | Consultation Start | Consultation End | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribby-with-Wrea Parish Council | 12 September 2012 | 28 September 2012 | 8 November 2012 | Approved | |
| Staining Parish Council | 20 December 2012 | 10 January 2013 | 21 February 2013 | Approved | |
| Saint Anne's on The Sea Town Council | 12 April 2013 | 25 April 2013 | 6 June 2013 | Approved | |
| Bryning-with-Warton Parish Council | 12 August 2013 | 22 August 2013 | 4 October 2013 | Approved | |
| Singleton Parish Council | 26 August 2014 | 11 September 2014 | 23 October 2014 | Approved | |
| Elswick Parish Council | 31 May 2016 | 16 June 2016 | 28 July 2016 | Approved | |
Map of designated Neighbourhood Areas in the Fylde borough.
Submission Consultation
The following Submission Neighbourhood Development Plans have been received by Fylde Council:
| Parish Council/Neighbourhood Forum | Received | Consultation Start | Consultation End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Annes on The Sea Town Council | 23 September 2014 | 9 October 2014 | 28 November 2014 |
| Bryning-with-Warton Parish Council | 25 January 2016 | 11 February 2016 | 24 March 2016 |
Independent Examination
Neighbourhood Development Plans are independently examined before a public referendum is undertaken to seek community approval.
Neighbourhood Development Plans differ from Parish Plans because once the NDP is agreed and all the requirements are met, it will form part of the broad range of documents that make up the Development Plan for Fylde. The Neighbourhood Development Plan can then be used in the determination of planning applications.
Financial Support
The government has made available up to £9,000 in grant support for each community preparing a neighbourhood plan. Additional professional and financial support (up to a further £6,000) is available for more complex plans or for plans that are allocating development sites.
Apply for government financial support via Locality
Further information
We can offer help and advice to neighbourhood planning groups interested in preparing a Neighbourhood Plan for their community. If your group would like our assistance or if you would like to know more about how you can get involved with neighbourhood planning, why not contact the Planning Policy team on 01253 658418, or email us at planningpolicy@fylde.gov.uk
