Neighbourhood Planning in Practice by Gavin Parker

Author:Gavin Parker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lund Humphries
Published: 2019-03-31T16:00:00+00:00

Developing policies (and projects)

Neighbourhood Plan policies provide the basis for the determination of planning applications and they must relate to the development and use of land. There is no set list of policies that should be included within a Plan, and each Plan should be locally distinctive and seek to address the particular issues in the locality. Plans produced to date vary considerably in scope with the number of policies ranging from as few as two to over a hundred. The NPPG advises that:

a policy in a Neighbourhood Plan should be clear and unambiguous. It should be drafted with sufficient clarity that a decision-maker can apply it consistently and with confidence when determining planning applications. It should be concise, precise and supported by appropriate evidence, reflecting and responding to both the context and the characteristics of the area (NPPG, para 41; Reference ID: 41-041-20140306)

The planning policies should be easily identifiable within the Neighbourhood Plan and numbered in a logical manner to aid navigation by the reader. The following should be considered:

The Basic Conditions as you develop the policies, particularly whether they are in general conformity with the strategic policies in the adopted Local Plan. Furthermore, there are a number of topics that cannot be addressed, such as minerals, waste or nationally significant infrastructure;

The policies must be positively prepared, e.g. focus on what will be permitted and encouraged as opposed to what will be opposed/not allowed;

The policies must be supported by robust evidence (see Chapter 5, Section 4) and not just based on local opinion – you should direct the reader to the relevant evidence base;

Ensure adequate explanation of the policy intent is provided in the supporting text, which sits either above or below the policy, as this will help a decision-maker to interpret the policy as intended;

The policies should help to deliver the vision and the objectives of the Plan and tell a story as to how the community will develop in the future;

Non-land-use policies should be clearly separated from the land-use planning policies, for example, be included within an appendix or a separate section of the Plan. These will not be tested at examination and do not form part of the statutory Planning Policy document. For some communities it may be appropriate for these projects and proposals to then be incorporated into an action plan document or a community plan to be taken forward by the Parish or Town Council and community outside of the mainstream planning system (for further information see Chapter 7);

The Policies must be deliverable and be capable of being delivered within the timeframe of the Plan. Furthermore, they must also only relate to proposals within the designated Neighbourhood Plan area;

Clarity – the policies need to be specific and clear. The policies that appear in the final Plan are implemented by others and no room for misapplication should be left;

Duplication should be avoided – there is no need to include a policy on every issue within the Neighbourhood Area as many will be adequately addressed by national policy or the Local Plan.

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