What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

The Localism Act 2011 gave communities the opportunity to get new and very real powers to shape future development and land use in their areas for the period up to 2031. Communities can now produce a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) which will contain planning policies that will be used, in conjunction with those in the Herefordshire Local Plan, to assess planning applications for the local area.

It is all about local communities determining the detail of how their area develops rather than just having the decisions based on the policies drawn up at County level.
Neighbourhood Development Plans can include policies on:

• Types, size and location of housing developments
• Support for local business and employers
• Protection of the environment and locally important features, buildings and views
• Measures to protect against flooding
• The siting of renewable energy projects
• Establishment of community facilities

…but that’s not all.
An NDP, when adopted, will have a legal status and must be taken into account by the planning authority when any developments or land use changes are proposed in the area. The policies contained in the NDP will have an equal status and weight to those in the Herefordshire Council Local Plan.

To enable us to take advantage of this opportunity the Parish Council has appointed a Steering Group to produce a Neighbourhood Development Plan to cover the three parishes of How Caple, Sollershope and Yatton.

Although initiated by the Parish Council and co-ordinated by the Steering Group the NDP must reflect the views of the community and all the policies must be supported by evidence. At all stages of the Plan the community will be consulted with to ensure that the community gets the NDP that the community wants. The final Plan will put to a local referendum.

Progress on the B4224 Unfortunately we have learnt today the the B4224 will not reopen in Fownhope in February “BUT” hopefully Easter .

As a Parish Council, we work together to bring to the notice matters of concern and interest to Herefordshire Council and the Parish as a whole.Doing this is not an unrewarding function quite the opposite, but we are a little stretch at the moment and would like to co-opt two new Parish Councillors. Yatton is in need of Councillor also Sollershope. We would like to invite you as Parishioners living away from the B4224 to join us as your input and views around your part of the Parish are of interest to us all.

Please contact the Clerk if you are interested in joining us.  howcapleclerk@outlook.com

June 2013 Initial presentation to members of How Caple, Sollershope and Yatton and Brockhampton with Much Fawley Parish Councils and residents by Herefordshire Council Neighbourhood Planning Team at Brockhampton Parish Hall.
July 2013 Parish Council resolution to apply for designation of a Neighbourhood Area
August 2013 Application for designation of a Neighbourhood Area submitted
October 2013 Neighbourhood Area designated
March 2014 Letter to residents explaining NDPs and invitation to public presentation
April 2014 Public presentation at How Caple Grange
April-July 2014 Initial meetings of those interested in joining Steering Group
August 2014 Steering Group formed
December 2014 First tranche of grant funding
September 2015 Second tranche of grant funding
October 2015 Public Information Drop-in sessions
March 2016 Residents’ questionnaires issued
May-July 2016 Analysis of data from residents’ questionnaires
October 2016 First draft of policies
October 2016 Third tranche of grant funding
November 2016 Public Information event with first draft of policies
March 2017 Public Information event with first draft of further policies
April – June 2017 Revision of policies
July 2017 Approval of Draft Plan by the Parish Council
July – September 2017 Regulation 14 Consultation
August 2017 Public Information event
October – December 2017 Review of Regulation 14 comments and revision of Plan
February 2018 Approval of revised Plan, Consultation Statement, Basic Conditions Statement, HRA and SEA
March 2018 Submission of Plan, Consultation Statement, Basic Conditions Statement, HRA and SEA to Herefordshire Council
April – May 2018 Regulation 16 Consultation
July 2018 Appointment of Independent Examiner
September – October 2018 Independent Examination