Neighbourhood Planning Neighbourhood Planning W hat I w ill cover - PDF document

Neighbourhood Planning Neighbourhood Planning W hat I w ill cover • Myth busting – the facts • What are the challenges of developing a Neighbourhood Plan in Leeds? • What is your role? What is the Council’s role? • Is a Neighbourhood Plan the right “tool” for your community? What are your alternatives? • Leeds – A track record of “neighbourhood” plans • What is the current planning policy for your area? How does this impact on the timetable for producing a Neighbourhood Plan? 1

Neighbourhood Planning Neighbourhood Plans • Must be about development or use of land • Must be prepared by a Parish/ Town Council or a Neighbourhood Forum, • Minimum 21 members who live in the neighbourhood; with � a written constitution � only one per neighbourhood • Area of the neighbourhood plan (whole or part of a parish) needs to be specified. LPA has to approve the area Neighbourhood Planning Neighbourhood Plans • Can not stop development already allocated or permitted in the Leeds UDP; Core Strategy or Site Allocations DPD • Can not propose less development than that identified in the Local Development Plan • Can not propose policies contrary to the Council’s strategic policies or National Policies • Can not propose development which would breach other legal requirements, such as EU Regulations. 2

Neighbourhood Planning, Neighbourhood Plans relationship to CI L… The Localism Bill will allow LPAs to levy a charge on development so that contributions to the costs of providing the infrastructure needed to support the development are made. The Community Infrastructure Levy would require a m eaningful proportion to be passed to neighbourhoods where the development that gave rise to them took place. “Communities that accept new development will be able to decide for themselves how the demands placed on their area are best addressed. Spending resources close to where development takes place will help change attitudes towards development, particularly when neighbourhoods see that the needs arising from development are being directly met and with meaningful control over the funds placed with the community itself”. DCLG Consultation on Community Infrastructure Levy - Detailed proposals and draft regulations for reform, Oct 2011 Neighbourhood Planning, Neighbourhood Plans the m yths… Myth 1 – A neighbourhood Plan can be used to prevent new development in an area… False: the draft NPPF states that all plans should be based upon and contain the presum ption in favour of sustainable developm ent . NP to support strategic development needs (Leeds UDP and emerging Core Strategy/ Site Allocations) and plan positively to support local development, with the power to promote more development than is set out in the Local Plan. Myth 2 - without a Neighbourhood Plan you will be left vulnerable to development pressures… . False: development will be guided by the Leeds UDP (saved policies); Core Strategy and Site Allocations DPD… But – Neighbourhood Plans can influence Site Allocations in your area and help set out how CIL should be spent in your community. 3

Neighbourhood Planning, Neighbourhood Plans Challenges The process of preparing Neighbourhood Plans is proposed to be ‘light touch’, however: • Independent examination will have increased evidence base requirements • As a statutory plan there are increased regulatory and legal requirements • A referendum will be required • No certainty on direct funding, though the Government has allocated £3.2m nationally to fund expert groups to give free advice. Neighbourhood Planning, Neighbourhood Plans Resources… • Cost – must be met by Parish/ Town Council or Neighbourhood Forum. No requirement for LPA to offer financial assistance. Estimates between £17 -200k depending on scale and detail • Resources – intensive and demanding for volunteer time • Time - Plans may take a year to complete, Leeds experience on average a VDS or NDS takes 2-3 years • Cost vs Time - consultancy costs; availability of fundraising before commencement and volunteer time will all affect production time 4

Neighbourhood Planning, Neighbourhood Plans W hat are the roles? Parish/ Tow n Council; Local Authority Role Neighbourhood Forum Role • Agree neighbourhood boundary • Identify the need to prepare plan/ apply to be a Neighbourhood Forum • Designation of Neighbourhood Forums • Identify key issues & collate evidence • Duty to support – ensure • Consult and engage compliance with EU directives and • Prepare documents/ plans guidance on Local Plan • Site details; NDO; infrastructure priorities • Fund examination • Submit plan for independent • Fund and undertake referenda's examination – 3 key tests: • Duty to adopt - plans get • regard to National Policy / NB NPPF presumption statutory status and becomes part in favour of sustainable development of the “development plan” • ‘general conformity’ with Local Plan • Compatible with EU obligations and human rights requirements Neighbourhood Planning … Neighbourhood Plans I s it right for you? • Uncertainty - until the detail of the process and the real implications are outlined in legislation anticipated Spring 2012 • Anticipated complexities and dilemmas - maybe some frustration at the constraints imposed by the "development and use of land only" limit on content. • A Neighbourhood Plan won't be for everyone. Parish & Town Plans, VDS, NDS still available • Neighbourhood Plans are only part of a w ider toolkit available to com m unities in Leeds. 5

National Policy Neighbourhood Plans Local Plans ( LDF) Parish/ T. Council Plans Com m unity Right to Build VDS/ NDS/ CAA N’hood Dev’t Orders I ncentives – New Hom es Com m unity Bonus/ CI L Right to Buy Parish/ T. Council VDS/ NDS/ Leeds track record & approach Plans CAA Neighbourhood Planning complements existing community-led planning prepared through: • Parish Plans • Village/ Neighbourhood Design Statements • Conservation Area Appraisals • Community Plans (e.g. New Wortley) Existing commitment in Leeds on community planning matters: • Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) • Community Planners and Locality Officers • End-to-end planning process - preparation of planning briefs/ master plans; pre-application and consultation leading to determination of a planning application. 6

Leeds track record & approach, VDS and NDS Parish/ T. Council VDS/ NDS/ Plans CAA • 1 5 adopted, 1 0 in production • W ho com m issions – the aspirations and ideas are led by com m unity groups and Parish/ Tow n Councils. • Use of consultants – local expertise available • Planning liaison officers and Design Officer support • Tim escales – allow 2 4 -3 6 m onths • Approval process - The consultation and adoption procedure is based on Governm ent regulations and the Leeds City Council Statem ent of Com m unity I nvolvem ent • Status – Once approved by LCC they are adopted as Supplem entary Planning Docum ents. Key aim s of VDS/ NDS in Leeds Parish/ T. Council VDS/ NDS/ Plans CAA are not dissim ilar • Enables communities to analyse and define the value of their local environment • Acts as a ‘tool’ for assessing local character • Assists the City Council in steering future development to respond to and respect that character • Guides smaller changes ("permitted development") • Scopes local environmental improvements and supports community initiatives • Becomes adopted and used by the Council as a material consideration in planning matters. Do the aim s and objectives of your com m unity fit w ithin existing plans? Do these need updating? 7

EXAMPLE, Chapel Allerton Com m unity VDS/ NDS/ CAA Plan and Design Statem ent, Aug 2 0 1 1 • Sets out a shared vision based on extensive community engagement - Work started in 2008 - 3000 questionnaires to every home. • At an early stage - acknowledged need to engage positively with local service providers – health, education, police and highways, as these bodies play an essential part of com munity life. • Guides and identifies ways to improve the physical environment; community priorities and stimulate the local economy • Supports the Conservation Area Appraisal and LCC’s detailed design guidance - deliver design excellence and retain and improve the best of the current built and natural environment. • Supported by LCC City Development Department and the I NE Area Committee Wellbeing Fund. EXAMPLE, Chapel Allerton NDS – VDS/ NDS/ CAA approach to site developm ent and planning gain… E.g. Yorkshire Bank Development. The community consider that any developm ent on the site should take the opportunity to: • improve areas of public space and landscaping • not include any bars/ linked issues of anti- social behaviour. • Must have regard to key views from Harrogate Road • supports the opportunity for enhancement of the conservation area and centre in relation to the Stainbeck Corner and creation of public space which could be delivered by way of planning gain (CIL). 8