The Neighbourhood Plan Explained

What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

It is a statutory document that allows the residents and people who work in the neighbourhood plan area to decide how the area develops. In short it allows Stoke Golding to have a real say in how our village and surrounding area develop.

What can be included in the neighbourhood plan?

Almost anything that we want to include, however we will have to decide how many areas we can cope with. Examples of what we might include are housing, employment, heritage, transport, village facilities.

Are there any restrictions on our plan?

Yes. The plan must comply with national legislation, local planning policy and European law. It cannot promote less development than Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council’s development plan for our area.

How long can it last?

This is up to us. It could be, for example, 5, 10, 15 or 20 years.

Who oversees our plan?

The Parish Council.

Who plans our plan and advises the Parish Council on our plan?

The Stoke Golding Neighbourhood Development Plan Advisory Committee known as the Advisory Committee or SGNDPAC. We are a group of local residents who volunteered to form this committee at a public meeting on 16/9/15. This committee was then sanctioned by the Parish Council. Members may change as the plan progresses.

How long does it take to prepare a neighbourhood plan?

It is a relatively slow process, so please bear with us – it will take several years.

What are the stages in the preparation of our neighbourhood plan?

  1. The neighbourhood plan area has to be decided and agreed by the parish council and the borough council.
  2. The parish council supplies is evidence to be the body overseeing the neighbourhood plan to the borough council. The borough council then has to approve their application.
  3. Consultation and plan preparation, which may use:
    1. Public meetings, exhibitions and workshops.
    2. Visits to local schools, local businesses etc.
    3. This is possibly one of the most important forms of consultation to obtain the village’s views.
  4. Public consultation on the draft neighbourhood plan for a minimum of six weeks.
  5. Submission of the plan proposal. The parish council submits the proposal to the local planning authority (our borough council).
  6. Publication of the plan. The local planning authority will publicise the plan for a minimum of six weeks.
  7. Conformance check by the local planning authority. The planning authority checks that are plan is compatible with all the various rules and regulations.
  8. Appointment of an external examiner. The borough council organises the Royal Town Planning Institute to appoint an examiner to further check that our plan is compliant with the rules and regulations.
  9. Examiner’s report. The examiner produces a report and recommendations that includes that the draft plan is submitted to a referendum or modifications are made to the draft plan or can refuse doing plan.
  10. Referendum. Once our plan is approved by the examiner a referendum of electors within the plan area as to vote on the plan. If over 50% of the votes are in favour of the neighbourhood plan, then the plan may be adopted.
  11. Adoption of our neighbourhood development plan. The neighbourhood plan then needs to be endorsed by the borough council leaders.
  12. Delivery (at last!) The neighbourhood plan is brought into legal force. It becomes part of the statutory development plan for our area so that decisions on granting planning permission in the neighbourhood area need to be made in accordance with our neighbourhood development plan.

This is a long process; do we have to wait for each stage to be completed before we can plan the next stage?

No. Throughout most of the stages, except possibly the very final stages, we can plan ahead, so that we are ready for the next stage.