Neighbourhood Planning

Advice for Parish and Town Councils and Neighbourhood Forums

The Localism Act 2011, for the first time, gave communities the ‘right to plan’. This ‘community right’ gives people the power to form their own land-use planning policies through a Neighbourhood Plan, which is a legal planning document that guides future development. 

It enables a community to influence the extent, type, location and design of development while setting out what needs to be protected. It is community-led, therefore the community researches it, writes itand votes to accept it. It can onlyfocus on land-use issues i.e. what will be permitted to be built and what will be protected. It cannot address non-land use planning issues such as: speeding, highways and bus timetables.

Once adopted, a neighbourhood plan becomes part of the local authority development plan and is used in determining planning applications alongside the national planning policy framework and the relevant local plan.

Cheshire Community Action currently offers the following support to its members:

  • Advice on the neighbourhood plan process and what to consider when reviewing your neighbourhood plan 
  • Advice on registering a neighbourhood area
  • Advice on registering a neighbourhood forum
  • Advice on applying for funding
  • Advice on project planning
  • Advice on evidence gathering and community engagement
  • Discounted day rates on housing needs reports and conducting surveys with your community to support your planning policies

Neighbourhood planning funding and resources (links):

Locality Neighbourhood Planning Funding Programme
Cheshire West Neighbourhood Planning Toolkit
Cheshire East Neighbourhood Planning Toolkit
Locality Neighbourhood Planning Toolkits and Guidance
Cheshire West Neighbourhood Plans
Cheshire East Neighbourhood Plans
Warrington Neighbourhood Plans

Contact John Heselwood

Email: john.heselwood@cheshireaction.org.uk
Phone: 01244 400222
Cheshire Community Action

Cheshire Community Action aim to give communities a stronger voice by engaging and supporting them to influence the places, spaces and services that are important to them.

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