Neighbourhood planning enables local communities to produce neighbourhood plans. These put in place planning policies which will shape future development in their area
The Localism Act 2011 introduced the concept of neighbourhood planning. Under the Localism Act 2011, relevant bodies (notably parish and town councils in the case of the district of Fenland) are able to apply to designate an area as a neighbourhood area and subsequently prepare a neighbourhood development plan, neighbourhood development order, or both for their neighbourhood area.
The neighbourhood planning process is initiated by the relevant parish or town council, not Fenland District Council. The process of preparing a neighbourhood plan or order is led by the relevant parish or town council, whom are responsible for meeting the majority of the associated costs, although Fenland District Council does have a duty to support parish and town councils throughout the process. The preparation of neighbourhood plans and orders is optional: parish and town councils are under no obligation to prepare a neighbourhood plan or order.
The various stages involved in the neighbourhood planning process are outlined in the
.There are two 'made' Neighbourhood Plans in Fenland District Council - the March Neighbourhood Plan (made November 2017) and the Parson Drove Neighbourhood Plan (made August 2020).
Designated Neighbourhood Areas provides further details of made and emerging Neighbourhood Plans in Fenland.
If you are considering preparing a neighbourhood plan for your area, please get in touch with the Neighbourhood Planning Team for an informal discussion about the process and your aspirations: planning@fenland.gov.uk
The first step in preparing a neighbourhood plan is defining and designating the area that the plan will cover: please use this
when applying to designate a neighbourhood area.Neighbourhood Plans must be informed by proportionate and relevant local evidence to complement the community engagement and consultation undertaken. Cambridgeshire County Council Research and Performance Team host a wide range of evidence tools on the Cambridgeshire Insight website which can help inform Neighbourhood Plans. In particular:
If you need help to find what you are looking for, contact the Research & Performance Team.