What is a neighbourhood plan?

Contents

• Neighbourhood plan
• How to prepare a neighbourhood plan
  • Designation
  • Preparation, publication and refinement
  • Examination, referendum and review
• General information statement

Neighbourhood Plan

Under the terms of the Localism Act, communities can now choose to produce a neighbourhood plan, which will contain policies to help shape and deliver new development in their areas. Because this document will become a statutory (legal) document they have to produce it in a certain way.

The Government has set out regulations (external link) on how this would be done.

Neighbourhood plans can set out a vision for an area and should contain planning policies for the use and development of land. A neighbourhood plan should be developed to help guide development, rather than to prevent it. Policies should cover local issues rather than strategic issues. For example, a plan could cover where new homes, shops or offices should go and what green spaces should be protected.

Plans should be developed in partnership with the relevant parish council, local residents, local businesses, local community groups, the District Council, and statutory consultees. They will need to be produced in conformity with Bassetlaw District Council’s Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). If a neighbourhood plan is adopted by the District Council it will become a statutory document that will be used when determining planning applications.

Neighbourhood planning cannot be used to block the building of the homes and businesses considered to be necessary to meet the District’s current and future needs. It can, however, influence the type, design, location and mix of new development.

Neighbourhood planning can involve any of the following:

• Neighbourhood Development Plan (Neighbourhood Plan) - establishes the vision and planning policies for the use and development of land in your neighbourhood.
• Neighbourhood Development Order – allows the community to grant planning permission for types of new developments you want to see go ahead.
• Community Right to Build Order – is a type of Neighbourhood Development Order which gives communities the power to develop, for instance, small-scale housing and other facilities that you want without the need to apply for planning permission.

All of these documents will be subject to an independent examination and a local referendum before they can be adopted.

Who can lead on neighbourhood planning?

Neighbourhood planning is led by the local community. Both neighbourhood development plans and neighbourhood development orders can only be prepared by parish or town council in parished areas. In areas where there is no parish or town council, a neighbourhood forum can lead on coordinating neighbourhood planning activity for your area. This could be an existing community organisation or a new group but it will need to meet certain criteria. The neighbourhood forum and area boundary will need to be approved by the Council.

A community right to build order can be prepared by certain community organisations and not just parish or town councils or neighbourhood forums.

Who will pay for the plan?

Funding is available from central government to help support local communities producing neighbourhood plans, in the form of grant funding and technical support. 

What help is available?

The District Council has a duty to support communities to engage in neighbourhood planning, and tailors this to meet the specific needs of each community. Further information is available by contacting the Neighbourhood Planning Team

• Email: neighbourhoodplanning@bassetlaw.gov.uk 
• Tel: 01909 533 495

In addition to advice from the Council, the following organisations may be able to offer assistance:

• Locality
• Planning Aid
• The King's Foundation 
• CPRE - The Countryside Charity

How to prepare a neighbourhood plan

Designation

Agreeing the neighbourhood area and the group that will produce the neighbourhood plan

Neighbourhood area

Parish councils, or local groups in unparished areas, should submit an application for the designation of a neighbourhood area to the Council. This should include:

• a plan and statement identifying the land to which the neighbourhood plan will relate;
• a statement explaining why this area is considered appropriate to be designated as a neighbourhood area;
• a statement explaining why the group is capable of being the ‘qualifying body’ to produce the neighbourhood plan; and
• contact details for the group.

The Council will consider the application, and determine whether it meets the requirements. For proposals that do not match an existing parish area, the Council will consult the public and interested parties on the application as part of the determination process. 

Parish councils and neighbourhood forums

Parish councils will usually take the lead in progressing the development of neighbourhood plans. In areas not administered by a parish council, community groups can apply to the Council to be designated as a neighbourhood forum, allowing them to produce a neighbourhood plan. A neighbourhood forum must contain a cross-section of the population and comprise a minimum of 21 people. The application to the Council must contain:

• the name of the neighbourhood forum;
• a plan and statement identifying the land to which the neighbourhood plan relates;
• contact details of at least one member of the group;
• a copy of the written constitution of the proposed neighbourhood forum; and
• a statement explaining why the group is capable of being the ‘qualifying body’ to carry out the neighbourhood plan.

Once an application is received, from either a parish council or community group, Bassetlaw District Council will publish on its website a statement setting out:

• the name and coverage of the proposed neighbourhood forum;
• the contact details of at least one member of the organisation or body making the application;
• the date on which the application was received; and
• a statement that any other application for the relevant neighbourhood area, after the first application to be accepted, must be received by Bassetlaw District Council no later than 28 days after the date on which the above information was first published on their website in relation to the first application accepted.

Preparation, publication, and refinement

Preparing and writing a neighbourhood plan

When writing a neighbourhood plan the following should be taken into consideration:

• The plan must be in general conformity with the Bassetlaw Local Plan, National Planning Policy Framework, and reflect national planning guidance;
• Plans should be evidence-led. drawing upon the District Council’s evidence base, and any locally-specific evidence gathered or commissioned by the neighbourhood planning group;
• Strong links should be made with local residents, community groups and local business, and the plan should reflect their views and aspirations;
• Thorough consultation is essential;
• Involving the District Council at the start of the process is essential.

Publicising your neighbourhood plan (pre-submission draft)

• The pre-submission draft version of a neighbourhood plan must be publicised to people who live, work or carry out business in the area, and to statutory bodies.
• The plan must be publicised for a minimum period of six-weeks.
• A draft must also be submitted to the District Council.
• All comments received must be reviewed, and any consequential modifications made to the neighbourhood plan. The updated document will form the submission draft neighbourhood plan. 

Submitting your neighbourhood plan (submission draft)

• The completed updated draft neighbourhood plan should be submitted to the District Council, accompanied by:
  
  • A plan or statement showing the area covered;
  • A consultation statement detailing:
    • who was consulted;
    • how they were consulted;
    • the main issues/concerns raised and how they were addressed.
  • A statement or report detailing how the plan meets the 'basic conditions', as stipulated in the regulations;
  • A Strategic Environment Assessment and Habitats Regulation Assessment (SEA and HRA), or a statement explaining why these assessments are not required; and
  • In the case of a reviewed neighbourhood plan, a statement as to the extent of the changes made over the original plan. 

Examination, referendum and review

Independent examination

Once a plan has been prepared, an independent examiner will check the plan and make sure it meets the basic conditions. The examiner will be appointed and paid for by the District Council with the consent of the parish council or neighbourhood forum. The examiner must be independent of both the parish / forum and the District Council and have no interest in land in the area.

After the examination

The examiner will recommend one of the following:

• That the plan is the subject of a local referendum;
• That the plan is the subject of a local referendum, after specified modifications are made;
• That the plan is withdrawn.

The District Council will need to consider the examiner’s views and decide whether to make the changes proposed. The examiner’s report is not binding and the Council may wish to dismiss the examiner’s comments. There may be a need to go back to the community and re-consult on the plan if significant changes are made to the plan by the examiner and the Council agrees them.

Referendum

Subject to the findings of the examination, the District Council will organise and pay for a referendum to allow all residents in the neighbourhood area to vote on whether the plan should be adopted or not. If more than 50% of those who vote are in favour, the plan is adopted by the District Council. 

Monitoring and review

An adopted neighbourhood plan should be kept under periodic review by the qualifying body to ensure that it continues to deliver upon the stated objectives, and is being employed effectively in practice. If issues are identified, or if there are changes in the local area, or changes in district or national planning policy that impact on the plan, it can be reviewed.  A review follows the same process as developing the original plan, but may or may not require a referendum, depending on the extent of the changes. 

General Information Statement

The Planning System

• The planning system manages the use and development of land and buildings, with the aim of creating sustainable places to live and work. Without a planning system in place, development would not be controlled and could take place anywhere, with considerable impact on people and the environment. Potential development activity is managed through planning applications, using local plans as a basis to make decisions.

• The planning system has two parts which are usually the responsibility of the local planning authority (in this case, Bassetlaw District Council):
  • Plan making - setting out proposals for development and policies to guide development over a period of
  • Development management – where planning decisions are made through the assessment of planning

• Not all forms of development require planning permission as some proposed development, depending on the scale and type, is covered by permitted development For development that requires planning permission, Bassetlaw District Council is responsible for deciding whether the development should go ahead.

National Planning Policy

• The NPPF sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied. The framework gives guidance to local planning authorities in drawing up development plans and on making decisions on planning applications. The NPPF includes a presumption in favour of sustainable development and sets out core planning principles, include environmental, social and economic Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) supports the NPPF and provides further guidance on planning issues, including neighbourhood planning guidance.

Local Plans

• Local plans are prepared by local planning authorities and set out the strategic priorities and planning policies for the local authority area. The policies in a local plan set out to deliver key development including homes and jobs required, the provision of retail and community facilities and infrastructure. Policies relating to managing climate change, conservation and enhancement of the natural and historic environment are also included. Local plans must be positively prepared, justified, effective, and consistent with national policy.

• The current Local Plan for the District is the Bassetlaw Local Plan, adopted in May 2024.

Neighbourhood Planning

• Neighbourhood planning was introduced under the 2011 Localism Act. It provides the opportunity for local communities to shape future development in their local area, through the development of a neighbourhood plan, which will be used alongside local and national planning policies when determining planning applications.

• The development of a neighbourhood plan is led by a ‘qualifying body’, whether a town or parish council, or a bespoke neighbourhood forum.

• Neighbourhood plans have to meet a number of basic conditions, as set out in paragraph 8(2) of Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, in order to proceed to referendum stage. An independent examiner is appointed to check that a plan meets the basic conditions, as set out below:
  • Have regard to national policies and advice contained in guidance issued by the Secretary of State;
  • Contribute to the achievement of sustainable development;
  • Be in general conformity with the strategic policies of the development plan for the area; and
  • Be compatible with European Union (EU) and European Convention on Humans Rights

• There is a statutory process that must be followed in order to produce and adopt a neighbourhood plan. The neighbourhood area (area to which the plan relates) must be designated by the District Council following an application from the qualifying body. There can only be one neighbourhood plan for each neighbourhood area. The neighbourhood plan must also specify a period for which it is to have effect.

• The draft plan must be prepared through a process of consultation with local residents and businesses, and must be subject to a formal consultation period, providing the opportunity for all interested parties to make comments. All comments received must then be assessed and, where relevant, reflected in refinements to the plan.

• Once a neighbourhood plan has been finalised, a further public consultation is undertaken to inform the examination process. Once appointed, an independent examiner will check that the plan meets the basic conditions mentioned above. The examiner will also consider any comments submitted. This is to ensure that referendums only take place when proposals are workable and of sufficient quality to meet the ‘basic conditions’. The examination concludes with the publication of an examination report, identifying whether any modifications should be made to the plan, and whether it should then proceed to a referendum.

• The District Council will then decide, in conjunction with the Parish Council, and having regard to the statutory criteria, whether to accept the recommendations and proceed through to referendum. This will be organised by the local planning authority.

• People who are registered electors in the neighbourhood area will be entitled to vote in the referendum and will receive a poll card shortly. This will be conducted following similar procedures to those used at local government elections. For further information on the conduct of the referendum, including deadlines for registration, postal and proxy votes can be found on the ‘Notice of Referendum’.

• If more than 50% of people voting in the referendum support the plan, the local planning authority must bring it into force. The local planning authority must make the plan as soon as reasonably practicable after the successful outcome of a referendum. Once made, a neighbourhood plan will be part of the statutory development plan and be used in determining planning applications within the neighbourhood area.

• Find out more about neighbourhood planning.

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Last Updated on Tuesday, February 25, 2025