What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England defines A Neighbourhood Plan as ‘a way of helping local communities to influence the planning of the area in which they live and work. It can be used to:
Develop a shared vision for your neighbourhood.
Choose where new homes, shops, offices and other development are built.
Identify and protect important local green spaces.
Influence what new buildings should look like.
A Neighbourhood Plan can...
Decide where and what type of development should happen in the neighbourhood
Promote more development than is set out in the Local Plan
Include policies, for example regarding design standards, which take precedence over existing policies in the Local Plan for the neighbourhood - provided the Neighbourhood Plan policies do not conflict with the strategic policies in the Local Plan.
A Neighbourhood Plan cannot...
Conflict with the strategic policies in the Local Plan prepared by the local planning authority
Be used to prevent development that is included in the Local Plan
Be prepared by a body other than a parish or town council or a neighbourhood forum.
Typical things that a Neighbourhood Plan might include:
The development of housing, including affordable housing (affordable housing is housing that is not normally for sale on the open market), and bringing vacant or derelict housing back into use.
Provision for businesses to set up or expand their premises.
Transport and access (including issues around roads, cycling, walking and access for disabled people).
The development of schools, places of worship, health facilities, leisure and entertainment facilities, community and youth centres and village halls.
The restriction of certain types of development and change of use, for example to avoid too much of one type of use.
The design of buildings.
Protection and creation of open space, nature reserves, allotments, sports pitches, play areas, parks and gardens, and the planting of trees.
Protection of important buildings and historic assets such as archaeological remains.
Promotion of renewable energy projects, such as solar energy and wind turbines.’
The designated area covered by the Hugglescote & Donington Le Heath Neighbourhood Plan is the whole of the area within the Parish boundary.
If you think you might benefit from a better understanding of a Neighbourhood Plan and the background behind the questions, please come to the Hugglescote Community Centre either Saturday 19 May or 2 June 2018 10.00 - 11.30 and a local member of the Neighbourhood Plan Working Party will provide you with explanations though cannot provide advice on answers you give.
Questionnaire: why do this?
An important part of the process towards having an adopted Neighbourhood Plan is to consult with the community and to take into account those views when building the plan. This is the purpose of the questionnaire.
Please note that you may have received a separate questionnaire for any young people in your household under the age of 18. Please encourage them to complete and submit / return it with this one.