WHAT IS A NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN?

Neighbourhood planning was introduced in the Localism Act 2011. It is an important and powerful tool that gives communities statutory powers to shape how their communities develop.

In very simple terms, a neighbourhood plan is:

• A document that sets out planning policies for the neighbourhood area – planning policies are used to decide whether to approve planning applications
• Written by the local community, the people who know and love the area, rather than the Local Planning Authority
• A powerful tool to ensure the community gets the right types of development, in the right place