What is neighbourhood planning?
An overview of neighbourhood planning
Neighbourhood planning is a way for communities to take a proactive approach to deciding the future of the places where they live and work. Communities can use a neighbourhood plan to help shape the future development and use of land in their neighbourhood. This includes the development of homes, shops, offices and infrastructure.
What can a Neighbourhood Plan do?
The Neighbourhood Plan can:
- propose more development than the Local Plan
- identify the most suitable sites for development
- help to determine what type and design of development should take place
The Neighbourhood Plan cannot:
- propose less growth than in the Local Plan
- prevent any development from ever taking place in an area
- be prepared without community input and support
- be in conflict with national or local planning policies
Why undertake a Neighbourhood Plan?
A Neighbourhood Plan helps set out a community's vision for their area over the next 10 to 20 years. Unlike a Parish Plan, once adopted the Neighbourhood Plan has the same legal status as the Local Plan. The Neighbourhood Plan will be part of the statutory development plan for the district. It will be used in deciding planning applications for the area.
Who and what is involved?
In South Cambridgeshire it is the parish councils who are the ‘qualifying bodies’ that can initiate the process and work with the local community to develop their neighbourhood plan. As the Local Planning Authority, South Cambridgeshire District Council has a duty to support the parish council and local community through the neighbourhood planning process.
How do we get started?
Our Neighbourhood Planning Toolkit has been designed to help local communities decide whether they want to get involved in creating a neighbourhood plan and if they do, how to go about preparing a neighbourhood plan.
We have created a Facebook Group for those involved in neighbourhood planning to share news, ideas and good practice and to ask each other questions about their experience. Become a member of the group by visiting our Facebook page or search for 'Neighbourhood Planning - South Cambridgeshire' on Facebook.
Presentations from workshops and seminars on neighbourhood planning are available to view on our Neighbourhood Planning Events webpage.
What Neighbourhood Plans are being prepared in South Cambridgeshire?
Details of each of the Neighbourhood Areas designated and Neighbourhood Plans being prepared in South Cambridgeshire are provided on our Neighbourhood Plans webpage.
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