What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

 

A Neighbourhood Plan is a way of helping local communities influence planning
decisions in the area where they live and work. 

Neighbourhood planning is not a legal requirement but a right which communities in England can choose to use. 

It can be used to develop a vision for the future of the neighbourhood, to select locations for new houses, offices, shops and facilities, to protect important local green spaces and to influence design.

It’s a document that sets out planning policies for a specific area (the “neighbourhood area”), and these planning policies are used to decide whether to approve planning applications.

Neighbourhood Plans are written by the local community, the people who know and love the area, rather than the local planning authority, in our case Epping Forest District Council.

A Neighbourhood Plan (once adopted) has the same legal status as a local plan (and other documents that form part of the statutory development plan).  Before being adopted, it goes to the local referendum, so the community has the final say. 

Communities with a Neighbourhood Plan will benefit from 25% of the revenues from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) arising from the development that takes place in their area, where their district authority collects contributions using this method.  Epping Forest District Council is currently considering introducing CIL, and with a Neighbourhood Plan our community will financially benefit.

For more information, visit:

Neighbourhood planning - GOV.UK

A quick guide to Neighbourhood Planning

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