1. Neighbourhood Planning
Rachael Ferry-Jones, Principal Policy Officer
Neighbourhood
5th October 2016

2. What is Neighbourhood Planning?
The Localism Act 2011 provided for a new neighbourhood planning regime..
Enables Parish Council’s and Neighbourhood Forums to lead on neighbourhood planning functions to help guide and shape development in a particular area.
Neighbourhood planning allows communities to prepare:
Neighbourhood Development Plans;
Neighbourhood Development Orders; and
Community Right to Build Orders.
Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development - Neighbourhood planning should not be a way to block necessary development (National Planning Policy Framework).
The details of the neighbourhood planning regime have been provided for in further regulations:

3. What are the benefits of Neighbourhood Planning?
Enables the bringing together of residents, businesses, local groups, landowners and developers to share ideas and work together to build consensus about what the area needs.
Communities get to play a greater role in shaping the future of their area by including their own local planning priorities and aspirations within the wider planning system.
A Neighbourhood Plan has statutory weight as part of the development plan: planning applications are judged against the local plan and neighbourhood plan together.
The plan-making process can include identifying shared spending priorities for Westminster’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) receipts – particularly the Neighbourhood Proportion.
Neighbourhood Planning is optional and may not be appropriate for all communities.

4. What is the Role of the Local Authority?
The Localism Act 2011 placed a legal duty on local planning authorities to support neighbourhood planning.
Required to make decisions at key stages of the process –
- the neighbourhood area;
- the neighbourhood forum; and
- the neighbourhood plan
LPA will check that the plan meets certain minimum conditions.
The LPA will organise the independent examination of the plan and the community referendum that is held at the end of the process.
If approved the Neighbourhood Plan becomes the council’s document and part of the Development Plan for the area.

5. Neighbourhood Planning in Westminster
The council’s vision is for Westminster to be a City for All, an unrivalled city of choice and aspiration where everyone plays their part to ensure the City’s continued success.
More activity than any other London Borough - 21 Neighbourhood areas, 16 Neighbourhood Forums plus Queen’s Park Community Council
Various stages of preparation and development

7. Preparing Your Neighbourhood Neighbourhood Area Application
Period for representations
Designation by the City Council
Preparing Your
Neighbourhood
Plan
Neighbourhood
Forum
Neighbourhood Forum Application
Period for representations
Designation by the City Council
Neighbourhood
Planning
Neighbourhood Plan production
Consultation by the neighbourhood forum
Submission of neighbourhood plan to the City Council
Consultation by the City Council
Examination of the neighbourhood plan
Referendum of the neighbourhood plan
Adoption of the neighbourhood plan by the City Council.

8. ……..Preparing Your Neighbourhood Plan
Community Engagement and Evidence - to justify potential planning policies and proposals for the development and use of land in a neighbourhood.
Developing Plan Content – Identify key issues and themes and develop clear aims that can be dealt with through planning policies.
Relationship to other Plans - the Development Plan for Westminster sets the strategic context within which neighbourhood plans will sit.
Policies cannot block development that is already part of the development plan. They can, however, shape and influence where that development will go and what it will look like.
Focus on what is specific to your area- If the Development Plan already seeks to achieve your aim do not repeat the policy.
Look at Case studies from other areas and Examination Reports

10. ……..Preparing Your Neighbourhood Plan
Before you consult make sure that your plan meets the following basic conditions. It will be tested on these at examination. Your plan must:
- have regard to national planning policy;
- be in general conformity with strategic policies in the development plan for the local area; and
- be compatible with EU obligations and human rights requirements.
Pre-Submission Consultation – by the Neighbourhood Forum for a minimum of 6 weeks.
Responding to the consultation – are changes needed?

11. Getting Your Plan in Place
Submitting the Neighbourhood Plan – Range of documents to be submitted by the Neighbourhood Forum
Consulting on the Submitted Plan – Undertaken by the Local Planning Authority
The Examination – Organised by the council. Decision to appoint an Examiner is the responsibility of the council.
Progressing to Referendum – Subject to Examiner’s report
The Referendum - Direct democracy by allowing the community decide whether or not the Plan comes into effect or not.
Adoption of the Plan - Part of the legal framework and planning decisions for the area must be taken in accordance with it, as well as the Development Plan for the wider area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

12. Financial Support
Government funding has been made available for local authorities and for neighbourhood forums to help with neighbourhood planning.
All groups writing a neighbourhood plan or neighbourhood development order are eligible to apply for up to £9,000 in grant. Groups facing a range of complex issues are able to apply for further support from the programme.
Where there is a neighbourhood development plan in place, the council will work with the community to agree how the neighbourhood portion of the Community Infrastructure Levy arising from the development should be spent.

13. Future Changes to Neighbourhood Planning
The Housing and Planning Act 2016 contains measures which are designed to simplify and speed up the neighbourhood planning process.
Regulations to effect this came in to force on the 1st October 2016.
Further reforms announced in the recent Neighbourhood Planning Bill Provisions to improve the process for reviewing and updating plans and providing a more transparent duty for the Government to support groups wanting to do neighbourhood planning.
All demonstrate the Government’s commitment to Neighbourhood Planning

14. Questions? Further Resources