The following case studies highlight the approach taken and issues faced by LPAs which have designated a Neighbourhood Area or Neighbourhood Forum. Further case studies are planned following the series of PAS neighbourhood planning workshops.
These will aim to report on current experience in dealing with issues such as:
• Consideration of catchment areas versus parish boundaries in drawing a Neighbourhood Area boundary
• Neighbourhood Areas which are multi parished or cover a part parished area.
• Business Areas
• Cross boundary Neighbourhood Areas
• Multiple Neighbourhood Forum applications for one Neighbourhood Area
• Assessing the representativeness of a Neighbourhood Forum
South Oxfordshire District Council
South Oxfordshire has four town councils and over 80 parishes within the local authority boundary. The Council has recently designated Thame and Woodcote Neighbourhood Areas and is consulting on four others; Chalgrove, Henley, Sonning Common and Benson. Each Neighbourhood Area application received to date has conformed to the parish boundary. Considerations in deciding the appropriateness of the Neighbourhood Area have included the likely issues to be encountered in the preparation of the NDP as well as capacity for growth in each area as set out in the Local Plan and the availability of sites for allocation.
Support in the form of ad hoc advice and early discussions with parishes has been particularly beneficial in order to manage expectations of the community with respect to what can realistically be achieved with NDP's and has resulted in Neighbourhood Area applications which contain appropriate information. Publicity for the application and designation included a notice in the press, press release and a notice on the Council website. This is similar to the level of publicity for a Development Plan Document.
South Oxfordshire has actively invited the larger villages in the area to consider producing NDPs as well as alternative planning tools available to them such as non statutory Community led plans. The benefits of using whole parishes as Neighbourhood Areas has been highlighted by the Council as ensuring whole district coverage, with the intention of limiting the risk for isolated pockets which fall in between Neighbourhood Areas.
The Council recently supported a Neighbourhood Area application whose proposed boundaries incorporated two parishes. However agreement on the Neighbourhood Area between the two parishes was not achieved. Although a multi parished Neighbourhood Area may be preferable, the Council cannot assume the content of the NDP in determining the Neighbourhood Area. The Council is consulting with DCLG to determine whether a non cross-boundary Neighbourhood Area would be appropriate and it is unclear whether the parish council will withdraw their application.
Herefordshire Council
Herefordshire is a fully parished area with 134 parishes within the Council boundary. Thirteen Neighbourhood Areas have been designated and a further five applications have been submitted. Each Neighbourhood Area application received to date has conformed to the parish boundary, which was encouraged by the Council as an appropriate area to ensure that isolated unplanned areas are avoided within the parish. The Council also saw using parish boundaries as a way of ensuring that Neighbourhood Areas are inclusive and appropriate; as any differences to the parish boundary would be likely to be questioned by the local community during consultation.
The Council has found the designation process relatively straightforward once the relevant regulations were understood. A standard Neighbourhood Area application form (similar to a planning application form) has been produced together with guidance notes to ensure that parishes meet the requirements of the application submission and made available on the Council's website.
Examples of written constitutions and justifications of the Neighbourhood Area have also been provided online. Publicity for the Neighbourhood Area application and designation is the same as for a planning application comprising a notice on the Council website and posting of site notices within the parish area.
The LPA has sought advice from other Council departments on appropriate issues to be considered, including the housing, transport and conservation teams. A set of plain English, bite sized guidance notes have been produced on the neighbourhood planning process and practice. Issues being considered in designating Neighbourhood Areas include site allocations, settlement boundaries, design statements, as well as heritage and open space protection policies.
To date, the majority of Neighbourhood Area designations have been for rural parishes. However the Council expect that parish boundaries may be less appropriate in more urban areas, and that cross-parish boundary Neighbourhood Areas would need to be considered. In order to address cross-boundary issues between parishes, the same neighbourhood planning officer has been assigned to deal with adjacent Neighbourhood Areas.
Bristol City Council
Bristol is a non parished area which has designated two Neighbourhood Areas:
• Lockleaze (overseen by the Lockleaze Voice Neighbourhood Forum)
• Redcliffe Way (overseen by the Redcliffe Way Neighbourhood Forum).
Three other Neighbourhood Areas are currently being consulted on:
• Lawrence Weston (post war housing estate)
• Knowle West (an area with a recently prepared regeneration framework)
• Old Market Quarter (a neighbourhood identified in the Bristol Central Area Action Plan).
No Neighbourhood Forum has yet been designated for any of the Neighbourhood Areas undergoing consultation.
Considerations in designating the Neighbourhood Area included the need for the proposed qualifying body to also meet the requirements for a Neighbourhood Forum in order to allow the opportunity for the body applying to be designated as a Neighbourhood Forum in the future. The proposed boundaries were assessed jointly between the local community and the Council before an application was received to find an appropriate Neighbourhood Area. This included consideration as to where likely development aspirations to be included in the NDP would be deliverable. The criteria therefore took into account the logic of the proposed Neighbourhood Area in planning terms. Publicity of the application and designation of the Neighbourhood Area included a press release and a notice on the Council website.
Bristol has found early engagement with the local community to be essential and this has assisted in the inclusion of communities which might normally be isolated, ensuring that the Neighbourhood Area is representative. They have also developed a targeted approach to resourcing neighbourhood planning which prioritises support to those neighbourhood areas with development potential. This approach aims to maximise the benefits of neighbourhood planning in areas where intervention would be most effective, including those:
• with a high level of deprivation
• in designated regeneration areas
• identified as having a significant potential for promoting development, and/or where a previously unidentified opportunity for development has been proposed.
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a non parished area. Norland Neighbourhood Forum and Neighbourhood Area has recently been designated following a period of consultation. The Forum has a main steering group of six representatives as well as over 300 members (from the local community, local businesses, and supported by local members). The Neighbourhood Forum applied with the intention of producing a NDP in place of the existing Conservation Area Statement and comprises the Norland Conservation Area and includes some additional properties considered to be historically important to Darnley Terrace and the Norland Estate. The Council determined that the Forum had at least 21 members representative of the area was therefore considered representative for the purpose of the NDP.
The consultation on the proposed St Quintin Woodlands Neighbourhood Forum which comprises members of the St Helens Resident Association and Woodlands Area Residents has recently been completed. The application has been submitted to both the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham for determination. The application submitted provides justification for the proposed area in planning terms.
The neighbourhood planning process has been seen as an opportunity to engage with the local community. Consultation to date has included a mid week event undertaken by the Neighbourhood Forum. Challenges faced by the Council include the need to manage community expectations, particularly in relation to time and financial resources that the Council can provide and also the scale of commitment that is required from the local community to prepare plans.
A dedicated neighbourhood planning team has liaised directly with the Neighbourhood Forum. Support has included advice on what to include in the application, neighbourhood planning regulations and advice on technical elements of the NDP to ensure conformity with local planning policy.
The Council has found that neighbouring boroughs are at different stages in providing neighbourhood planning support. The process of designation has therefore depended on the level of support and the resources that both local authorities are able to provide at one time.