Community Led Housing Workshop

1. Neighbourhood Plans
Dave Chetwyn
Managing Director, Urban Vision Enterprise CIC
Planning Adviser, Locality
Chair, Historic Towns Forum
Vice Chair, National Planning Forum

2. Why do we have Planning?

3. Why is Planning Needed?
Address market failure
Take account of externalities
Allow local communities to have their say
Allow Government to specify social,
economic & environmental priorities
Mechanism for mediating interests
Protect natural & built heritage
Ensure adequate infrastructure is
provided
Certainty and investor confidence.

4. Overview of Neighbourhood Planning

5. Neighbourhood Planning
Neighbourhood Development Plans
Neighbourhood Development Orders
Community Right to Build Orders
Policy
} Planning Permission

6. Planning Policy
National Policy and Guidance
Local Plans
Core Strategy
Supplementary Documents
Strategic Site Allocations
Neighbourhood Development Plans
Statutory Development Plan*
*In Greater London, there is also the London Plan

7. Scope of Neighbourhood Plans
Economic
Environmental
Social

8. Benefits of Neighbourhood Plans
Statutory status – greater influence over planning
decisions.
Focus on neighbourhood rather than district
Can modify Local Plan policy (non-strategic).
More community-led approach.
Opportunity to specify which sites will be developed.
Begins a dialogue with the local authority and a range
of other organisations.
Can encourage community projects and self-build
initiatives.

9. Things to Think About
The time and energy commitment is huge!
You are planning for the whole community –
wide engagement is essential.
Must be evidence based (including an
assessment of need).
It will involve tough decisions.
Cost – project planning will help to estimate
financial cost.
Neighbourhood planning is about producing a
positive strategy for growth – not preventing
development.

10. Housing in neighbourhood Plans

11. Housing Need
Community Questionnaire
Demographic trends
Economic trends
What is happening in the wider area
Sustainability considerations
Infrastructure
Gaps in housing provision
Student housing separate

12. Housing Growth Strategy and Policies
Growth Strategy:
Level of growth
Site allocations
Development envelope(s)
Policies (e.g. number per site)
Policies:
Housing design
Housing standards
House types
Affordable housing
Home working
Community facilities
Transport
Heritage

13. Building for Life 12
1. Connections
2. Facilities & Services
3. Public Transport
4. Meeting local housing requirements
5. Character
6. Working with the site and context
7. Creating well defined streets and spaces
8. Easy to find your way around
9. Streets for all
10.Car parking
11.Public and private spaces
12.External storage and amenity space

14. Process

15. Neighbourhood Area

16. Business Areas
Designated by local authority
Area has to be wholly or
predominantly business in nature
Allows business people to vote in
referendum

17. Qualifying Bodies
Town or Parish Council Neighbourhood Forum
or

18. Why Community Engagement is Important
Statutory requirements
Political consensus
Evidence base (front loading)
Better informed outcomes
Realistic and deliverable plans
Maintaining public confidence
Avoiding conflict, delay, cost
Democratic deficit

19. What do we Mean by the Community?

20. Why is the Evidence Base Important?
Understanding the area
Identifying issues
Identifying need
Identifying trends
Identifying pressures
Informing policy and proposals
Making realistic assumptions

21. Plan Template
Introduction – purpose, status, monitoring, review, time period
Vision / aims
Summary of process – evidence base, community engagement, etc.
Development management - planning policy & site allocations
Area – general characteristics and issues

22. Writing the Plan
Relate policies and proposals to the plan’s vision and aims
Concise is often best
Be clear which parts form the planning policies
Consider whether the policies will deliver the Community’s aspirations
Get the policies checked if possible
Use clear, plain, unambiguous language
Avoid over-complex language and jargon
Discern between must and should

23. Be Specific
Layouts that create clear separation between public and private space,
minimising need for walling/fencing adjacent to highway.
Development to face and provide active frontages and enclosure to
streets and spaces.
Pedestrian safety and convenience – links to surrounding footpaths,
public spaces overlooked, shared surfaces, use of home zones, etc.
Parking to be carefully integrated into the design, so that it does not
dominate public spaces.
Space for refuse bins, recycling bins, etc.
Each dwelling to have storage space for cycles.

24. Growth Strategy and Site Allocations
Clear methodology
Site selection criteria
Transparent process

25. Pre-Submission Consultaton

26. Submitting the Plan
Map of neighbourhood area
Plan proposal
Consultation Statement
Basic Conditions Statement

27. Independent Examination
Undertaken by an experienced and
qualified person …
… appointed by local planning authority -
agreed by parish/town council or
neighbourhood forum
Presumption for written representations …
… but can be a hearing too.

28. Have appropriate regard to national policy.
Contribute to the achievement of sustainable
development.
Be in general conformity with the strategic
policies in the development plan for the local
area.
Be compatible with EU obligations and
Human Rights.
In addition, NDOs and CRtBOs must have
regard to the protection and enhancement of
listed buildings and conservation areas.
The Basic Conditions

29. Referendum to
include people
beyond the
boundary of the
neighbourhood
area
Possible Recommendations
Proceed to the
Referendum
Modifications
before
proceeding to
the Referendum
Don’t proceed to
the Referendum

30. Modifications
Examiner’s report NOT binding
Local planning authority amends plan
Can only amend to meet basic conditions
Community can withdraw plan

31. Referendum
28 days notice required.
Separate business ballot if business area.
More than 50% ‘Yes’ vote required.

32. Summary

33. Key Points
Statutory development plan – use and development of land.
Housing often a key issue: type, design, standards, sites, affordability,
etc.
Foundations – robust community engagement and evidence base.
Policy should be clear, concise and unambiguous.
Must meet the Basic Conditions.
More than 50% vote required in referendum.
A neighbourhood plan is a means to an end … think about delivery.