Neighbourhood Planning

“Learning from the Pioneers”

Webinar Structure.

• Introduction

• Community rights and Locality programmes

• Why bother?

• 10 things you need to know

• The pioneers – case studies

• Common issues

• Further information

Poll.

Are you writing a Neighbourhood plan.

Yes

No

Thinking about it.

Our work

Community Rights

Community Organisers

Our Place Programme

Asset Transfer

Campaigns

Member support

New Community Rights

BUILD

BID

CHALLENGE

Neighbourhood Planning

Support Programme £10.5 million over two years

online applications reopened on 25th Feb 2014

direct support available for

designating your area and forum

collecting evidence, community engagement and

writing the plan

taking the plan to examination and referendum

grants of up to £7,000

Learning programmes planning camps, events, knowledge hub, etc.

Neighbourhood Planning

Support Programme 570 groups on the programme

256 Direct Support

385 Grant

16% forums

84% Parish and Town Councils

Neighbourhood Planning

Support Programme

£3,185,000 given in grants

£1,070,000 left in grant pot

Programme for Direct Support limited,

reopens 1st of each month

Find out more…

mycommunityrights.org.uk

Why Bother?

Why should we plan places?

Why do we need a planning system?

Why do we need planning?

• Consider external impacts of development

• Allow local communities to have their say

• Allow Government to specify social, economic &

environmental priorities

• Mechanism for mediating interests

• Protect natural & built heritage

• Ensure adequate infrastructure is provided

• Create certainty and investor confidence.

Why get involved? • community-led – written by or under the control of the

community

• more influence – part of the statutory development plan

• more relevant – focused on the neighbourhood needs

• create a dialogue – between organisations, departments

and partners

• allocate sites – develop criteria and choose sites for

development.

Elephant & Walworth

To create grass

root level

change

Allow our voice to be

heard on issues that

will shape the area.

We know our

neighbourhood better

than anyone else The idea of influencing

change where we live

Neighbourhood planning

could be the conduit for

through which good

practice is shared.

We want to focus on

establishing green links in

our community

The Neighbourhood

forum creates links

across our

community.

http://vimeo.com/90663058

Any questions

?

things you need to know about

neighbourhood planning

Planning reform-

7000 – 600

March

2014

Thing 1

Levels of planning

old new

National

Regional

Local

Planning Policy

Statements, etc

Regional Spatial

Strategy

Local Development

Framework

National

Local

Neighbourhood

National planning

policy framework

Local Plan

Neighbourhood Plan

It’s about development and land use

Thing 2

What the planners will say…

But wait a

minute…

just ˆ

It’s about development and land use

live work play shop

school

eat

drink

park

travel

One of three elements…

Neighbourhood Development

Plans

Neighbourhood Development

Orders

Community Right to

Build Orders

Thing 3

They are not a way of stopping growth

Thing 4

Must comply with:

• European Directives/legislation

• National Legislation (Planning & Other)

• National Planning Policy

• Local Strategy Policy

- so can help inform, direct and shape

development but not stop it

They are subject to a local referendum

Thing 5 (or possibly 10)

• completed plans are referred to a local vote

• plans with more than 50% YES vote are ‘made’

• can include voters from a greater area than that of the

plan and businesses where appropriate

• 50% of those who vote – not those who live or work in

the area

They are subject to a local referendum

Thing 5 (or possibly 10)

Upper Eden – 33% / 90% YES

Exeter St James – 21% / 92% YES

Thame – 40% / 76% YES

Tattenhall - 52% / 96% YES

Woodcote - 59% / 91% YES

65% General Election

2010

15% PCC Elections

2012

They are led by Town or Parish Council

or Neighbourhood Forum

Thing 6

Town or Parish Council

• ideally supported by a

steering group

Neighbourhood Forum

• minimum 21 people

• 5 year shelf life

• reflect diversity and

character of area

• include residents,

workers, a councillor

or

The area has to approved by the

Local Planning Authority

Thing 7

Parish/Town Councils

administrative boundary

Options:

• All of area

• Part of area

• Link with adjacent parishes

Neighbourhood Forums

no predetermined boundary

Options:

• Ward boundary

• Other predefined area

• New area

They need to engage the community

Thing 8 (or possibly 1)

They need to be based on evidence

Thing 9

Demographic – who lives here? current and trends

Socio-economic – who works? where? & at what?

Environmental issues – flooding, air quality

Designations - heritage, landscape, wildlife

Transport – services, capacity, usage

Infrastructure – capacity, fitness for purpose, need

Housing stock - type, tenure, condition, need

Land uses – potential development sites

They are submitted for examination

Thing 10

What to submit:

•a map or statement

identifying the area

•the consultation

statement

•the basic conditions

statement

• the neighbourhood

plan

They are submitted for examination

Thing 10

Checks that it meets

the basic conditions:

• Conformity with EU

and UK law

• Conformity with the

NPPF and strategic

local policy

• Contributes to

sustainable

development

Recommends:

• Whether it’s put to

referendum

• Who is included in

the vote

Recap: 10 things

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 1 0

Part of

Localism

Development

& Use

One of

three

elements

Not to

stop

growth

Local

referendum

Led by

Town,

Parish or

Forum

Area &

Forum

approved

by LPA

Engage the

community

Based on

evidence

Submitted

for

inspection

Any questions

?

The Pioneers

http://dclgexamples.mywebcommunity.org/npf/npanodes_osm.html

Why?

Ensure our community grows

Remains vibrant and develops opportunities.

We want to encourage development - we want them to have better space standards

and energy efficiency than standard builds

To protect our independent nature, encourage tourism and enable business start ups.

Top Tips.............

Framed Consultation

To die for issues

Roadmap

Don’t get distracted.

Work with the Local Authority.

Wirksworth

Highgate Neighbourhood Forum http://www.highgateneighbourhoodforum.org.uk/plan/

Top Tips.

• Involve the local council from the outset.

• Bring as many local organisations on board from the

outset.

• Don’t be happy with the ‘usual suspects’

• Remember it’s not just the forums plan – Wider

community.

• Play to people’s strengths.

• Be nice!

Common Issues for Groups

Lack of understanding about what a

Neighbourhood Plan can do

Over ambitious plans/Neighbourhood

Planning Fatigue

Lack of an up to date local Plan

Fear of Failure

Common Issues for Groups

Groups not understanding what is meant by

‘Evidence’

Groups undermining housing

figures/attempting to block housing

growth

Relationships with Local Authorities

Forum Vs Parish

Concern about costs

The Knowledge Hub & Forum

http://planning.communityknowledgehub.org.uk/about

Resources Available

My Community Rights

http://mycommunityrights.org.uk/

Community Knowledge Hub

http://planning.communityknowledgehub.org.uk

DCLG Notes on Neighbourhood Planning

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/notes-

on-neighbourhood-planning

RTPI/PAE on-line resources and newsletter ‘Upfront’

http://www.rtpi.org.uk/planning-aid/planning-

explained/online-resources/

Resources Available

Social Media

Twitter: #neighbourhoodplanning

Linkedin NP group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Neighbourhood-Planning-

3741603/about

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/nplanning/neighbourhood-plans

DCLG online interactive map: http://dclgexamples.mywebcommunity.org/npf/npanodes_osm.html

Any questions

?

Find out more…

mycommunityrights.org.uk

Neighbourhood

Plans Roadmap

locality.org.uk

More webinars coming up

http://locality.org.uk/events