WHAT IS A NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN?
pavenham development plan UPDATE 17 March 2025
The Government has introduced radical changes to national planning policy terms, particularly with regard to house building and increased house building target numbers. This is shown in the very recently updated National Planning Policy Framework and Planning Policy Guidance. Furthermore, amendments are now being made to the Bedford Local Plan.
In view of these changes, Pavenham Parish Council is of the view that it would be better to delay the public consultation to allow time for the factual updating of the draft Neighbourhood Plan to ensure it aligns with current national and local development policy. Given the above, the planned public meeting has had to be postponed.
Following the recent Borough review of our plan, over 130 amendments are now required to the draft plan. It is important to ensure the Pavenham Neighbourhood plan reflects the most up-to-date guidance and policy changes and is aligned with the revised Bedford Local Plan. :
pavenham development plan UPDATE 18 november 2024
The NDP committee recently convened on 29th OCtober 2024 to discuss progress. Key updates include:
- The appointment of local Consultants to assist with the flora and fauna survey, which is now underway. The Consultants have also volunteered to review the draft plan for Pavenham, drawing from their experience with the Stevington NDP which was 'made in June 2021 .
- Feedback from parishioners collected during the 2024 survey, have now been addressed and any ongoing queries will be followed up.
• Communication has been established with the developer of the proposed Bury Farm project, who has confirmed their willingness to provide further details and support regarding the development..
• Preparations are being made to present the NDP to the village early in early 2025 subject to key documents, including the flora and fauna survey being finalised.
• The NDP Group will continue to share further updates on this web page as progress continues..
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE PARISH COUNCIL?
In a designated neighbourhood area which contains all or part of the administrative area of a town or parish council, the town or parish council is responsible for neighbourhood planning. Where a parish or town council chooses to produce a neighbourhood plan or Order it should work with other members of the community who are interested in, or affected by, the neighbourhood planning proposals to allow them to play an active role in preparing a neighbourhood plan or Order. The relationship between any group and the formal functions of the town or parish council should be transparent to the wider public.
Pavenham Parish Council has established a Steering Group under section 102(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 and appointed local people to this body for the development of the Neighbourhood Plan with the support of the Parish Council, in consultation with local residents. When drafted, the Plan will reflect the community’s views. with focus on the village and how planning matters affect Pavenham.
The terms of reference for the steering group and the minutes of meetings are published on this website.
WHAT CAN WE USE IT FOR?
Local communities can choose to:
Neighbourhood planning is not a legal requirement but a right which communities in England can choose to use. Communities may decide that they could achieve the outcomes they want to see through other planning routes, such as incorporating their proposals for the neighbourhood into the local plan, or through other planning mechanisms such as Local Development Orders and supplementary planning documents or through pre-application consultation on development proposals.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DEVELOPING A PLAN?
Neighbourhood planning enables communities to play a much stronger role in shaping the areas in which they live and work and in supporting new development proposals. This is because unlike the parish, village or town plans that communities may have prepared, a neighbourhood plan forms part of the development plan and sits alongside the local plan prepared by the local planning authority. Decisions on planning applications will be made using both the local plan and the neighbourhood plan, and any other material considerations.
Neighbourhood planning provides the opportunity for communities to set out a positive vision for how they want their community to develop over the next 10, 15, 20 years in ways that meet identified local need and make sense for local people. They can put in place planning policies that will help deliver that vision or grant planning permission for the development they want to see.
To help deliver their vision, communities that take a proactive approach by drawing up a neighbourhood plan or Order and secure the consent of local people in a referendum, will benefit from 25% of the revenues from the Community Infrastructure Levy arising from the development that takes place in their area, where their authority collects contributions using this method.
WHAT SHOULD THE PLAN ADDRESS?
A neighbourhood plan should support the delivery of strategic policies set out in the local plan or spatial development strategy and should shape and direct development that is outside of those strategic policies (as outlined in paragraph 13 of the revised National Planning Policy Framework). Within this broad context, the specific planning topics that a neighbourhood plan covers is for the local community to determine.
A neighbourhood plan should, however, contain policies for the development and use of land. This is because, if successful at examination and referendum (or where the neighbourhood plan is updated by way of making a material modification to the plan and completes the relevant process), the neighbourhood plan becomes part of the statutory development plan. Applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
Wider community aspirations than those relating to the development and use of land, if set out as part of the plan, would need to be clearly identifiable (for example, set out in a companion document or annex), and it should be made clear in the document that they will not form part of the statutory development plan.