Neighbourhood Planning Emma Naylor and Peter Heath-Brown

What is neighbourhood planning? How do neighbourhood development plans fit in with the Peterborough Local Plans? What are neighbourhood development plans? What neighbourhood plans can and can’t do Advantages and challenges Support available Update on neighbourhood planning in Peterborough and the rest of England Castor Questions

What is neighbourhood planning? Parish councils and neighbourhood forums able to prepare Neighbourhood Development Plans Parish councils and neighbourhood forums able to define neighbourhood areas (designated by the Local Planning Authority) Neighbourhood planning

‘ Local Plan’ = A Development Plan Document How do neighbourhood plans fit in with the Peterborough Local Plans? National Planning Policy Peterborough’s Local Plans Adopted Neighbourhood Plans

Neighbourhood Development Plans (‘Neighbourhood Plans’) A plan which sets out policies in relation to the development and use of land. Can include site allocations. Neighbourhood plans are considered alongside Local Plans so their policies do not need to repeat the policies of Local Plans. They could either: further expand on local plan policies essentially ‘fill in the gaps’ by covering policy topics not featured in the local plans

Key Facts Must meet basic conditions. Need a majority vote at referendum to get adopted. Plan policies can be applicable to whole neighbourhood area or just a specific part. Can only be one neighbourhood plan per neighbourhood area. Those preparing the plan decide what period it will cover.

Neighbourhood Plans – what can they do? Set out where new homes, shops and businesses should go Influence what these things should look like Identify and protect important local green spaces Respond to local priorities, e.g. the need for smaller retirement homes

Neighbourhood Plans – what can’t they do? Stop development which is already approved Remove site allocations from an adopted Local Plan Deal with non-land use matters (litter, bin collection, speeding traffic, etc) Seek unreasonable things (“we want a new swimming pool, a cinema, a M&S, a new park…”)

Advantages of having a neighbourhood plan 1)Effectively gives communities a greater influence over planning in their area. 2)Helps facilitate development which is inline with local needs and priorities. 3)Process strengthens community relations.

Challenges of neighbourhood planning 1)Most of time and costs associated with the preparation of a plan are borne by the parish council/ neighbourhood forum.  Can take around 2 years to prepare.  Cost dependent on many factors. 2)Process is very resource intensive.

Support -Will offer advice and support -Will not provide any financial assistance (Note: PCC is responsible for the examination and referendum costs) Locality (the organisation appointed by Government) -Grants available: up to £7000 -Direct Support available: tailored advice and assistance provided by an allocated Planning Aid volunteer.

Peterborough 5 neighbourhood areas designated: - Deeping Gate - Glinton - Northborough - Peakirk - Bretton

4 neighbourhood plans formally ‘made’ 6 plans passed referendum 9 plans passed examination 25 plans submitted to examination 54 draft plans published Over 630 neighbourhood areas designated Elsewhere in England

CASTOR Core Strategy Policy CS1: “… development in the countryside (i.e. outside the boundary of all settlements...) will be restricted to that which is demonstrably essential to the effective operation of local agriculture, horticulture, forestry, outdoor recreation… transport or utility services; and to residential development which satisfies the ‘exception’ test…”

Questions? Search- ‘neighbourhood plans’