About Neighbourhood Planning

Neighbourhood planning was introduced in the Localism Act 2011. It is an important and powerful tool that gives communities statutory powers to shape how their communities develop.

What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

In very simple terms, a neighbourhood plan is:

•         A document that sets out planning policies for the neighbourhood area - planning policies are used to decide whether to approve all planning applications

•         Written by the local community, the people who know and love the area, rather than the Local Planning Authority

•         Neighbourhood Plans can also identify areas for protection such as open spaces valued by the community (you will see we have done that in the Shenley Neighbourhood Plan/the Spinney

•         A powerful tool to ensure the community gets the right types of development, in the right place

When the Shenley Neighbourhood plan is read, you need to remember, the word development in the Green Belt, refers to existing houses being extended or rebuild differently, as the whole of Shenley Parish is in the Greenbelt, except for Porters Park.  The only reason Porters Park was recently taken out of the Green Belt, is that when central government sold the old Shenley Hospital site, the development they allowed has resulted in a more urban style of build.  However, Porters Park is covered in the neighbourhood plan, and the new planning and design guidance will apply there as well.

It is important for the community to note, that even what is often referred to as a brownfield site, for example your own home, is technically treated as a greenbelt site as the whole parish is in the Green Belt and so afforded the same protection and planning guidance as the wider greenbelt, open fields surrounding the village.  References to development do not mean mass building of new homes on open fields, simprly the type of building or maintenance that is normally done to your home.  The national guidance from the NPPF is that there should be no new building in the Green Belt.

For more detailed information about Shenley's Neighbourhood Plan and how it will protectour cherished green spaces, please see our Questions & Answers page.

Neighbourhood Planning - Locality Neighbourhood Planning