Agenda item

Resolved:

That a further update report is brought to the Committee once a Neighbourhood Plan has been put in place and is being used. Any report should include information on costs involved in setting a plan up and how it works in practice.

David Knight (Planning Policy Officer) introduced the report and highlighted the following information:

·         There have been 2 applications for Neighbourhood Forums so far.

·         The application from Crofton Park and Honor Oak Park has been positively determined by the Mayor. The Crofton Park and Honor Oak Park area now has a designated forum and area. The Forum is expected to start developing a Neighbourhood Plan soon.

·         There has been consultation on the Grove Park proposal, with a total of 16 positive or negative responses so far to the 1^st and 2^nd consultations with the majority in favour. The low number is seen as a positive sign that there is no groundswell against it and the proposal will go to Mayor & Cabinet in October.

·         A group from New Cross and Corbett Estate have talked to officers who have provided info, but it has not moved beyond that stage as yet.

In response to questions from the Committee, David Knight and Claire Gray and (Senior Planning Policy Officer) provided the following information:

·         The Neighbourhood Forum produces a Neighbourhood Plan for an area, which is a legal document that must be considered when making decisions on planning applications.

·         A local group must submit an application to become a Neighbourhood Forum to the Council, and must also submit an application to define their neighbourhood area to the Council, before they can begin preparing a Neighbourhood Plan. The Neighbourhood Forum can designate any area for the plan, as long as it is sensible. There can be no overlap between areas covered by a plan.

·         The regulations for groups are light touch and a Neighbourhood Forum has to show that there are 21 members and have a constitution. The group does not have to involve local councillors, although the Crofton Park group is led by a local councillor and the Local Assembly. Any group has to provide details of its members and officers will look at the membership of the group to make sure it reflects the community rather than just one section of it.

·         The created and accepted Neighbourhood Plan remains in place once adopted by the Council, even if the Neighbourhood Forum ceases to exist.

·         There is no guidance in place regarding updating a Neighbourhood Plan. Only a couple of plans have been passed across the country and the focus has been on putting them in place. A plan’s power could erode over time if it moves out of line with changing national, regional and local planning policies.

·         The cost of referendum for approving the Neighbourhood Plan is estimated to be £10k to 20k. It is possible to obtain money from central government to help cover the costs of putting Neighbourhood Plans in place; some of this could go towards partly covering the referendum costs.

·         There is an examination process for all Neighbourhood Plans to ensure that the submitted plan is in line with national and local policies to avoid tension. Once adopted the plan holds the same weight as the adopted Council plans and policies.

Resolved:

That a further update report is brought to the Committee once a Neighbourhood Plan has been put in place and is being used. Any report should include information on costs involved in setting a plan up and how it works in practice.