Neighbourhood planning gives communities the power to:

• make a neighbourhood development plan
• make a neighbourhood development order
• make a Community Right to Build order

Neighbourhood planning was introduced through the Localism Act 2011. Neighbourhood planning legislation came into effect in April 2012.

For more information visit the Neighbourhood planning pages on www.gov.uk

Neighbourhood development plans

A neighbourhood development plan establishes general planning policies for the development and use of land in a neighbourhood, like:

• where new homes and offices should be built
• what they should look like

The plan can be detailed or general, depending what local people want.

Neighbourhood plans allow local people to get the right type of development for their community, but the plans must still meet the needs of the wider area. In most cases we expect this will mean that neighbourhood plans will have to take into account the local council’s assessment of housing and other development needs in the area.

Neighbourhood planning is a growing movement. As of April 2014:

• around 1,000 communities have taken the first formal steps towards producing a neighbourhood development plan
• 80 full draft plans have been produced for consultation
• 13 neighbourhood plans have been passed at community referendums

For more information visit the Neighbourhood planning pages on www.gov.uk