23rd September - 14th October 2024 – Household Survey
The Neighbourhood Plan Survey is now available online and we would one person from every household in the Parish of Ringwould with Kingsdown to take part. You can take part by clicking HERE or use the QR code below. Your views are vital for the production of a robust Plan that works for ALL the community! Paper copies will be available in the church porch in Ringwould if you prefer and in the Newsagents in Kingsdown, they can be returned to the Newsagents when completed or to our Parish Office at Ringwould village hall.
What is a neighbourhood Plan?
A Neighbourhood Plan is a planning document facilitated
by a parish or town council or a neighbourhood forum, which sets out the vision
for the neighbourhood area, and contains policies to influence the development
and use of land in the area. It is an opportunity for the whole community to
have a say in the growth and future development of their community. The input
of the whole community is vital in the production of a successful Plan.
Areas which are covered by a Neighbourhood Plan are:
Housing and Design
The Historic Environment
Transport
The Natural Environment
Community infrastructure
For each of these areas, working groups will be established made up of members of the community and perhaps including Parish Councillors. From each of these working groups there will be a member who is part of a steering group which will meet periodically with the overall responsibility of putting together the plan and reporting back to the full Parish Council. The steering group will help to write the policies in the Plan. It is also advisable but not essential to hire in specialist knowledge in the form of consultants. Funding to assist in the production of the Plan can be applied for from Locality. Funding can also be applied for to produce Design Codes and a Housing Needs assessment. Design codes set out rules for the design of new development within a designated area in a simple and illustrated way. Design codes should help to ensure that new buildings complement the identity of an area. A Housing Needs Assessment is a tool to identify housing issues in a neighbourhood area.
The Plan may contain a vision, aims, planning policies, proposals for improving the area or providing new facilities, sites to be designated as protected green spaces or allocation of key sites for specific kinds of development. Neighbourhood plans relate to the use and development of land and associated social, economic and environmental issues. It may deal with a wide range of issues (like housing, employment, heritage and transport) or it may focus on one or two issues that are of particular importance in a local area.
Neighbourhood plans must be subjected to an independent examination to confirm that they meet legal requirements, and then to a local referendum. If approved by a majority vote of the local community, the Neighbourhood Plan will then form part of the statutory development plan. This is why it is so important that all the community are involved in the production of the Plan. A Plan must be robust and reflect the wishes of the community to pass through a referendum. Local Authority Planning Officers will then use the Neighbourhood Plan alongside the Local Development Plan and the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) to make planning decisions concerning the Parish or Town.
If you would like to be involved or are just curious to find out more, there are a couple of step-by-step guides. The Locality Neighbourhood Plans Roadmap Guide and from the CPRE – How to shape where you live – a Guide to Neighbourhood Planning are both worth reading.