The Government has announced that it will no longer fund new neighbourhood planning support beyond March 2025. Locality, which delivers the support programme on behalf of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), confirmed shortly after the spending review that no new grants or technical assistance packages will be available for groups producing neighbourhood plans. Existing support already approved will be completed by March 2026 at the latest.

This change has serious implications for Cheshire and Warrington—not only for parish and town councils—but also for neighbourhood forums in urban areas, such as the Blacon Neighbourhood Forum in Chester, which has successfully used tools like Neighbourhood Development Orders (NDOs) to bring forward plans for vital community infrastructure. These forums, like their rural counterparts, depend on the same funding to develop or update neighbourhood plans. Together, parish councils and urban forums play a crucial role in shaping local development, protecting green spaces and community facilities, setting design and housing standards, and ensuring that communities have a genuine voice in how their neighbourhoods evolve.

A Shift Away From Local Voice

While the Government has retained administrative funding for local authorities to support neighbourhood planning, the withdrawal of direct grants to communities marks a clear retreat from the localism agenda. Combined with new centrally imposed housing targets, the expansion of “grey belt” development, fast-tracked infrastructure projects, and enhanced ministerial intervention powers, this signals a significant shift towards a more centralised, ‘top-down’ planning system—undermining one of the few democratic tools communities have to shape their local areas.

In Cheshire and Warrington, this comes at a time when many groups will need to review or update their Neighbourhood Plans in response to shifting policy pressures. The loss of direct funding risks stalling this work—particularly in areas with limited capacity—widening the gap between policy-making and genuine community input.

Disproportionate Impact on Smaller Parishes and Urban Communities

While some larger town and parish councils—with access to higher precepts—may find ways to absorb the cost of neighbourhood planning, many will still feel the impact of lost funding. The greatest strain, however, will fall on smaller rural parishes and urban neighbourhood forums, where volunteer capacity is often limited and access to professional expertise is essential to meet technical planning requirements.

Neighbourhood forums are particularly disadvantaged, as unlike parish or town councils, they do not receive a precept and rely entirely on external funding. These groups are often at the forefront of grassroots regeneration, delivering plans and projects that reflect the specific needs and aspirations of local residents. A local example is the Blacon Neighbourhood Forum, which has produced a draft Neighbourhood Plan to safeguard green spaces, community services and facilities—and gone further by developing a Neighbourhood Development Order for a new Community Sports Facility.

Without continued access to grant funding, urban areas across Cheshire and Warrington with similar ambitions for community-led regeneration will lack the resources needed to bring their plans to life, undermining local efforts to shape how neighbourhoods grow, develop, and adapt to future needs.

A Call to Regional Leadership

If a new Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority is formed and truly values local, community-led decision-making, it has a real opportunity to show leadership by working with existing local authorities to support communities that want to shape sustainable growth in their neighbourhoods. With national funding in retreat, regional support could step in—through local funding pots and capacity-building initiatives—to ensure neighbourhood planning remains a practical and inclusive option for all communities, whatever their size or location.

Such action would not only safeguard democratic involvement in planning decisions, but also support community-led regeneration, especially in disadvantaged or high-growth areas where local insight and engagement are vital to long-term sustainability.

What Can Parish and Town Councils and Forums Do Now?

Engage with the Local Plan reviews in your borough. Look out for consultation notices on your Council’s website:

Cheshire West & Chester Local Plan Consultation Portal: https://cheshirewestandchester.objective.co.uk/portal/cwc_ldf/

Cheshire East Local Plan Consultation Portal: https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/planning/spatial-planning/cheshire_east_local_plan/new-local-plan.aspx

Advocate regionally: Join calls for a new Combined Authority to develop a local solution that supports both urban forums and rural parishes in continuing this important work.

Neighbourhood planning remains one of the few meaningful tools that empowers communities to shape the future of their local area. Over the past 14 years, more than 100 communities across Cheshire and Warrington have embraced the process—bringing local insight, ambition, and accountability into planning decisions. Without sustained support, this hard-won local leadership is at risk of fading and undermining community-led regeneration at a time when it’s needed most.

Let us know how this loss of funding will affect your neighbourhood plan project, please contact John Heselwood at Cheshire Community Action. john.heselwood@cheshireaction.org.uk