From: Francis Shaw, Locality Sent: 09 July 2019 09:30 To: Rickaby Shearly-sanders Subject: Neighbourhood Planning newsletter - Issue 6 Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged Issue 6 No Images? Click here Neighbourhood Planning Newsletter Issue 6 Dear Reader, Welcome to the sixth edition of Locality’s quarterly neighbourhood planning newsletter. In this edition, we get an insider’s view on neighbourhood planning from the Leeds City Council Planning Manager, Ian MacKay. You can also read some great design case studies, an overview of the Lewes Plan's ecosystem approach, and learn about digital tools that can help you gather background evidence for your neighbourhood plan. We also have our well known and loved features including question of the quarter (this time with a focus on neighbourhood forums) and top tips. Neighbourhood Planning Features Creating places you can be proud of Jo Widdecombe has written some great short case studies on neighbourhood plans that have emphasised the importance of design. Lewes Neighbourhood Plan - Ecosystem Approach Kirsten Firth explains how Lewes Town Council’s neighbourhood plan is the first to implement an ecosystem approach. Meet the... LPA Planner Ian Mackay, a planning manager at Leeds City Council answers our questions about neighbourhood planning in Leeds and beyond. Digital mapping tools Mike Thacker highlights some useful digital mapping tools neighbourhood planning groups may find useful. Question of the quarter My neighbourhood forum designation has expired or is about to expire. What should I do? If you have been designated as a neighbourhood forum, your designation will expire after 5 years. Your neighbourhood area designation does not expire. If your forum designation expires and you have not yet made your neighbourhood plan, you will need to re-designate to continue making your plan to take it through the statutory stages (e.g. Regulation 14 consultation, submission to the local planning authority etc.). Neighbourhood forum designations will typically expire after your plan has been made. In this case you may want to re-designate. Neighbourhood planning groups monitor the progress of their made neighbourhood plans. This includes the degree to which the aims and objectives are being realised and the extent to which relevant policies are being considered by the local planning authority when considering planning applications. Technically anyone can keep a check on the plan and monitor planning applications. You do not need to be a designated neighbourhood forum to do this. However, you may still wish to re-designate. If as part of your monitoring you realise certain policies are not having the desired effect, you may decide to update your made neighbourhood plan and have it remade. In this case, only a designated forum would be able to do this. The process for re-designation is the same as the initial designation and you will have to submit a forum designation application to your local planning authority. As five years is a long time and the make up of your area may have changed considerably (residents and employers leaving, and new ones coming in etc.), it is important that you invite new members to join the forum. This will mean that the forum membership stays truly reflective of the neighbourhood area. Top Tips Comissioning a planning consultant Neighbourhood plans are community driven plans produced by local people. However, you may find that there are certain stages of plan making where you believe some professional input will be helpful. Neighbourhood planning groups can fund professional consultants using grant funding from Locality’s neighbourhood planning programme. Typically, groups commission a professional planner, but some groups have also hired design professionals, community facilitators and other experts. Locality can fund professionals as long as the work relates to the formulation of land use policy. To find out more about funding criteria read our Grants and Technical Support Guidance Notes. Below are some general points worth considering before you start looking for a professional consultant. * Think about why you want to speak to a professional and when it may be useful to have their input. * For some groups it’s useful to have a professional planner on board at an early stage, to set an understanding of what it is possible to achieve through a neighbourhood plan. * Speaking to your LPA or a professional planner early on can help you avoid undertaking work that falls outside of the scope of neighbourhood planning. * If it seems challenging to find a planning consultant, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) have an online directory of accredited planners. However, you may find that a recommendation from a nearby neighbourhood planning group or your LPA is a good way to find someone local with neighbourhood planning experience. * There is only a limited amount of grant funding available. Try to think about what is essential vs. what would be nice to do. Using Locality’s Project Planning Tool can help you manage your workstream and budget. * Are you aware of Locality’s technical support packages? These are free packages of specific support which have no bearing on grant support. Using technical support may free up funds for professional costs not covered through technical support. * Finally, remember that planning consultants are there to help you prepare your plan, but it is a community led plan. Stay involved and manage the process. Resources New! How to prepare for, and what to expect at, examination This new toolkit?is aimed at helping neighbourhood planning groups ensure they have a smooth and successful plan examination experience. Bringing forward affordable homes for sale (AHS) via an NDO Find out how to apply for our new funding streams related to affordable housing for sale and Neighbourhood Development Orders (NDOs). Grant and Technical Support Guidance Notes See what support is on offer for those producing a neighbourhood plan. Anyone making an application for grant and/or technical support should read this. In addition to the resources above we have a host of other toolkits and guidance, including a glossary of planning terms, as well as a range of case studies. You can find these all on our website. Get in touch with a neighbourhood planning champion Neighbourhood Planning Champions are people across England who have a wealth of knowledge and experience in making their communities better through neighbourhood planning and neighbourhood development orders. If you want to get in touch with a neighbourhood planning champion, or even find out how to become a champion, go to our champions webpage by clicking below. Best wishes, Francis Shaw Neighbourhood Planning Programme Manager Locality 33 Corsham Street London N1 6DR You're receiving this email because you subscribed to our newsletter. 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