LINKS

Neighbourhood Plans – some helpful websites

There is a lot of helpful information about Neighbourhood Plans (NP's) on the web, for example every District Council has to provide guidance, and this selection only skims the surface, but here are some sites that might be helpful.

Legislation

This is a government publication, and can, presumably, be relied on as the ‘horse’s mouth’:
http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/neighbourhood-planning/

If you want it in an indigestible form, then the actual statute is at:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/637/contents/made
 

East Northants

East Northants: This is the portal to NP planning in the district, and therefore is essential reading, especially the Toolkit, Protocol and Timetable.

 

Local Plans

These are vital reading, as we cannot go against anything in these plans, and must, as far as possible, justify our plan with reference to their terms.

 

Rural North, Oundle and Thrapston Plan (RNOTP) (colloquially referred to as the ‘Arnott Plan’):

This is the basic ‘bible’ – see particularly Section 10 Rural areas as there is a section on KC

 

North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy:

This is not yet an adopted policy, and so is altering as the process continues, but elements may supercede the RNOTP, e.g. KC no longer designated a Local Services Centre

 

Local examples

The ENC page does not, generally, give links to NP websites. You will have to search online for each village individually.

When looking at examples of NP’s it is important to assess the size, location and ambition of the NP area concerned. For example some towns see NP’s as a vehicle for more house building; smaller villages as an opportunity to prevent unwanted development (One of the first things the village will have to do is construct a ‘vision statement’ which will try to define what we want for King’s Cliffe).

Chelveston-cum-Caldecott: This is a less populated village than KC. The process is meticulously documented, so is an interesting starting point (it is also an example of how to limit development!). It has not yet been approved.

 

Stanwick: Roughly same size as us, and only slightly further down the line

 

Barnwell: Not a lot here, but an interesting example of how they have tried to use Facebook to get community involvement

 

Oundle: Obviously not identical in size to KC, but still useful in terms of the process of constructing a plan.

 

Wider examples

Obviously there are a number of these (search online for ‘neighbourhood plan adopted’).

 

The one that ENC hold up as a good example is Tattenhall (Cheshire – about the same size as Oundle). The site is very detailed and helpful. Its plan also has the distinction of having withstood a legal challenge from developers, and having been upheld by Eric Pickles! (unfortunately we can no longer rely on his help – some might argue that he owes us one!).