A Neighbourhood Plan

The Localism Act 2011 sets out a series of measures with the potential to shift power
away from central government and towards local people, via a community-led plan.
Neighbourhood planning allows communities, both residents, employees and
business, to come together through a neighbourhood forum to say where they want
new houses, businesses and shops should go and what they should look like. These
plans can be very simple and concise, or go into considerable detail where people
want. Local communities will be able to use neighbourhood planning to grant full or
outline planning permission in areas where they most want to see new homes and
businesses, making it easier and quicker for development to go ahead. (from A Plain
English Guide to the Localism Act
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/595
9/1896534.pdf )

Reasons to undertake a Neighbourhood Plan

1. It is the opportunity for the community to influence the location and nature of
development in their parish/town
2. It is a genuinely participative process, all members of the community need to be
involved throughout the process
3. It identifies the communitys aspirations, needs and priorities so that developer
contributions can be directed accordingly
4. It offers the opportunity to take on more development, over and above that set
out in the Development Plan/Core Strategy, tailored to what the community
needs, for example low cost housing
5. The community can influence the design and style of development
6. When adopted, the Neighbourhood Plan carries statutory weight and will be used
by the local authority in determining planning applications
7. Although land-use based, Neighbourhood Plans can look at all aspects of
development and it can be focused on issues specific to the area. The legal steps
to completing the plan are prescribed, content is not
8. Cornwall Council will provide support to town & parish councils, including a toolkit
to guide the process, outlined in a document available from the Community
Network Manager