1. Neighbourhood Planning – The New
Landscape
Andrew Lynch
Department for Communities and
Local Government
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2. Content
• Understanding the new powers
– Neighbourhood plans, neighbourhood
development orders, community right to build
• Opportunities for communities
– How the new powers can be used, what are the
advantages over traditional routes
• The role for housing providers
– Examples from front runners
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3. Neighbourhood plans
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4. Neighbourhood plans – the basics
• Communities can establish local planning
policies for the development and use of land
in a neighbourhood.
• They will be able to say, for example, where
new homes and offices should be built, and
what they should look like.
• Becomes part of the development plan for
the area, giving real weight to local views.
• Aligned with strategic elements of local plan
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5. Neighbourhood Development Orders
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6. Neighbourhood development orders
– the basics
• NDOs can grant planning consent and remove the
need to apply for planning permission for
development that is consistent with the order.
• Allows new homes and offices to be built without the
developers having to apply for separate planning
permission.
• Could also permit houses to be extended in a
neighbourhood or allow changes of use beyond
those permitted by the use classes order without the
need to apply for planning consent.
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7. Community Right to Build
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8. Community Right to Build – the
basics
• Another means of obtaining planning
permission
• Intended for smaller-scale, site specific
schemes.
• Subset of neighbourhood development orders
- can allow for development on the green
belt in certain circumstances, and provide for
enfranchisement rights to be disapplied on
housing schemes, ensuring housing remains
affordable in perpetuity.
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9. Process (Engagement runs throughout)
Define the neighbourhood
Prepare the Plan / Order
Submit Plan / Order to LPA
Independent Examination
Referendum 9

10. What’s in it for communities?
• Take control of their areas - planning is
something they do, not have done to them
• Makes areas more accepting of growth –
some frontrunners are taking higher levels of
growth than under the previous top-down
system.
• If an area is designated for growth, can’t use
Neighbourhood planning to prevent or block
that – but can influence design / mix / etc.
• Govt support – advice and funding assistance
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11. The role for housing providers
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12. The role for housing providers
• Housing providers have several potentially
influential roles:
– As important community organisations
– As investors
– As landlords
• Providers are experienced in engaging /
supporting communities
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13. Conclusion
• Remember these are rights, not requirements
– communities have the choice to use them
• As with all new processes, there is space to
share experience, good practice
• Housing providers can be well placed to fulfil
this role to the benefit of communities and
themselves
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14. Contacts / Information
• Andrew Lynch – 0303 444 3594
• andrew.lynch@communities.gsi.gov.uk
• Locality support hub
• http://mycommunityrights.org.uk/community-
right-to-build/
• HCA fund
• http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/com
munity-right-to-build
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