What is an Neighbourhood Development Plan?
The Localism Act has reformed the planning system to enable local people more say in determining planning policy for their local area.
Producing a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) will give local people the opportunity to decide the future of the places where they live and work. This will allow the community to set out the vision for an area and the planning policies for the use and development of land, this can include choosing where you want new homes, shops, leisure facilities or employment opportunities to be built and what these buildings should look like, within your parish or Neighbourhood Area.
It is important to note that plans should focus on guiding development rather than stopping it.
An NDP will give you an increased ability to influence planning within your area. Plans will, however, need to conform with planning policies and guidance at a local, national and European level and meet the Neighbourhood Planning regulations. This will be tested in an independent examination. The plan will also need to demonstrate involvement of the local community throughout the plan preparation and decision making and it will be subject to a community referendum upon completion.
Once such a plan is made and adopted, it will become a statutory plan carrying
equal weight to the Local Plan (Core Strategy) and be part of the Local Development Framework. This will mean that it will be used in making decisions on planning applications by Herefordshire Council in your area.
How it started
On Wednesday 22nd November 2023, a Parish Meeting for residents of the town was held in The Falcon Mews to discuss the opportunity for the community to create a Neighbourhood Development Plan for Bromyard in partnership with the Town Council.
Mrs Lynda Wilcox, CEO of Herefordshire Association of Local Councils, presented an overview of how NDPs work and how they help a community to shape development in their town. Mrs Wilcox answered several questions from the public and closed the meeting by reiterating the importance of community involvement throughout the entire development of a plan.
This first meeting was well attended by residents of Bromyard.
