Neighbourhood planning guidance

Neighbourhood planning gives local communities the opportunity to plan for their local areas and decide what it should look like and how it should develop. 

What can neighbourhood planning be used for?

Neighbourhood planning can be used to:

• choose where new homes, shops and offices should be built
• have a say on what those new buildings should look like
• influence the design and functionality of open spaces around where you live
• grant planning permission for the new buildings your community wants to see go ahead

What can it not be used for?

Neighbourhood planning can't be used to block the building of the homes and businesses considered to be necessary to meet the borough's current and future needs. 

However, it can be used to influence the type, design, location and mix of any new development.

There are three types of neighbourhood planning your community may wish to consider:

1. A Neighbourhood Plan

This is used to establish your vision and general planning policies and proposals for the future development and use of different plots of land in your local community area.

It will form part of the borough's statutory Local Plan against which all planning applications and development proposals will be decided.

A Neighbourhood Plan could include Neighbourhood Development Orders and Community Right to Build Orders.

2. A Neighbourhood Development Order

This allows you to grant planning permission for certain types of development that you want to see go ahead in your community area.

3. A Community Right to Build Order

This allows you to grant planning permission for the local community to build small-scale housing developments, community facilities or shops.

Neighbourhood planning is undertaken by local community groups, not the Council, although we are happy to provide guidance and technical assistance.

For more information on developing neighbourhood planning further in your community, see our 5 steps guide to neighbourhood planning.

For more details also see: Neighbourhood Planning FAQs (PDF, 319 KB)

The government has also funded the following independent organisations to help advise and support you, and to provide some financial assistance to local communities interested in doing neighbourhood planning:

• Locality (The Building Community Consortium)
• Planning Aid (part of the Royal Town Planning Institute)