In more detail
Neighbourhood Planning is a procedure which communities can use to make a local spatial plan which forms part of the local planning framework used in determining what development goes ahead in their locality:
- a 'spatial plan' covers things like: where new housing, shops and offices may be built; what new buildings should look like; what roads and open spaces are needed; where there is land that should be protected from development; and where there is under-used land and buildings that could be re-developed.
- the 'local planning framework' is the set of policies the council uses to decide on planning applications: which developments should go ahead and which should not. If the Neighbourhood Planning process is successfully seen through to its end-point, it results in a document which (added to the council's framework plan) councillors and land-owners must use in making their decisions about development in the neighbourhood.
- 'development' could mean anything from a new housing estate, to the conversion of high street shops into clubs and bars, to a new railway station or park, to a new porch or extension on your home.
- a 'locality' is a neighbourhood - as it is defined by the people who live there and who run businesses there.
The video below is from Locality - which is a national network of community-led organisations aiming to make better neighbourhoods. It explains Neighbourhood Planning:
Locality
Locality works with government to tell people about neighbourhood planning and other opportunities communities have for making neighbourhoods better. Locality has already published a lot of really good advice for groups on the details of how to do Neighbourhood Planning and, if and when you know that Neighbourhood Planning is the route you want to take, you'll find their advice invaluable (their contact information is below). This toolkit aims to help groups to look at Neighbourhood Planning alongside other options and wider community planning aimed at improving the places people live. It is particularly aimed at communities in urban neighbourhoods where there are likely to be wider social and community issues (both good and not so good) which people want to address, as well as spatial planning issues.
The Neighbourhood Planning Process
The steps in forming a Neighbourhood Plan are:
- define the area of your neighbourhood
- unless your area has a parish council, set up a neighbourhood forum (which must satisfy certain minimum standards in terms of membership)
- consult local people and gather evidence about the area on which you can base planning policies
- draft a Neighbourhood Plan with policies backed up by the evidence you have gathered
- have the plan checked by independent examiner to see that it meets a basic standard and that it does not conflict with other plans (your Neighbourhood Plan must fit in with national planning policy and existing local plans in your council area)
- the council will put your completed plan to a local ballot - voters will have the chance to say whether they approve or reject the draft plan
- if local people vote to support the draft plan, it is adopted by the council and becomes part of the local planning framework used to guide local development.
In practice, as you will find in this toolkit, the process can be a little less clearcut than this. For example, in city neighbourhoods it isn't always clear what the area covered by a neighbourhood plan should be. It can take some discussion to get it right. And, as you will hear from the video interviews with people who have been involved in local planning here in Birmingham, the process can take several years and a lot of voluntary effort. Having said that, none of the groups we talked to in putting together this toolkit felt their efforts in producing a Neighbourhood Plan had been wasted.
Localism Act
Neighbourhood Planning comes from a law passed by Parliament in 2011 called the Localism Act. This law created a number of new rights intended to help communities make better places to live (they are covered in this toolkit). Neighbourhood planning created two new ways of influencing neighbourhood development:
- by making a Neighbourhood Plan that becomes part of the Local Planning Framework and is used in determining planning applications
- by enabling the development of parts of the area for specific types of development through more specific documents called Neighbourhood Development Orders and Community Right to Build Orders.
It is worth remembering that community groups already had ways of influencing neighbourhood development even before the Localism Act. Here in Birmingham, for example, dozens of community-led neighbourhood forums and residents' associations keep a regular eye on planning proposals affecting their areas. They put forward the views of local people during the consultation on those proposals. The differences between Neighbourhood Planning; developing a Neighbourhood Development Order; and taking part in the consultation on development proposals is summarised below:
| Scope | Proactive or reactive? | |
| Neighbourhood planning | wider neighbourhood | proactive |
| Neighbourhood development orders | site specific | proactive |
| Consultation on development proposals | site specific | reactive |
The Localism Act enables communities to be more proactive in planning local development and neighbourhood planning in particular enables you to take a neighbourhood-wide view. Don't forget, however, that groups can carry on engaging in consultation on development proposals - as many have done for years. And - of course - community groups can work with the council to produce local plans which are made by council planners and councillors and do not require a ballot.
As an incentive to get involved in Neighbourhood Planning, government has offered communities with a Neighbourhood Plan a larger share (25% as against 15% in other areas) of revenues from Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) arising from the development that takes place in their area. (CIL is a charge the council levies on new development to help pay for things that make sure new development is sustainable).
Alternatives and Complementary Actions
Neighbourhood Planning is an option, not a requirement. There are alternative ways for neighbourhood communities to influence:
- local land use – including through the regular planner-led local planning system, through Local Development Orders, or by engaging in consultation on specific planning proposals etc
- public service delivery and the way councils, housing associations, the police and other agencies manage and serve the neighbourhood. These are things which are beyond the scope of the neighbourhood planning process
- wider community planning – which can cover things like local public services and local community relations.
All of which help to determine how good a place is to live and work in.
| Key Facts:
Neighbourhood Planning is a a process for community-led making of a local spatial plan which - when successfully adopted - forms part of the local planning framework which determines what development goes ahead in your neighbourhood. Neighbourhood Planning is a powerful tool but, particularly if you are based in a city neighbourhood or a large town, you may want to look at the other tools you can use alongside it or even instead of it. This toolkit is designed for communities in urban neighbourhoods in particular to look at Neighbourhood Planning alongside other means of making your neighbourhood better including:
|
Page Links from here
Locality has published the My Community website and a Neighbourhood Planning website which are full of useful advice on the detail of neighbourhood plans and how to go about neighbourhood planning.
On this site have a look at:
Support for Neighbourhood Planning
Who Leads Neighbourhood Planning?
|
Neighbourhood Development Orders Neighbourhood Planning & Infrastructure Bill
|
OR you can use the navigation menu above right to look at other parts of the toolkit.
BIRMINGHAM COMMUNITY PLANNING TOOLKIT DEFINITION SHEET This sheet may be reproduced in paper or electromic or any other form but please mention it was made by Chamberlain Forum Limited for Birmingham City Council supported by Department for Communities and Local Government.
| created: 2016-07-24 15:58:55 | by: admin | status: f published |