Whipsnade Parish Council

The Future

Whipsnade Parish Neighbourhood Plan

Background

What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

Through the Localism Act, the government gave local communities more power to influence the future of the places they live by preparing neighbourhood plans; creating plans and policies to guide new development and in some cases, granting planning permission for certain types of development.

Neighbourhood Plans can establish a vision for an area along with general planning policies relating to the development and use of land in a neighbourhood. They should be about local issues and should focus on guiding development rather than stopping it. If adopted it will become a statutory plan and be used in making decisions on planning applications.

Town and Parish Councils are the ‘qualifying bodies’ who can make the Neighbourhood Plan. The plans can cover the whole town or parish, or even just part of it, and two or more parishes can work together to produce a joint plan if they wish to do so. A Neighbourhood Area has to be designated by the Council to allow Neighbourhood Plans to be drawn up by the Town or Parish Council.

Planning Tools

There are three neighbourhood planning tools:

  • Neighbourhood Plans – these set out the vision for an area and planning policies for the use and development of land. It could cover where new homes, offices or shops could go and identify green spaces to be protected.
  • Neighbourhood Development Orders – these can grant planning permission for specific developments such as shop fronts and ‘green energy’ proposals.
  • Community Right to Build Orders – these identify land for specific small scale developments such as new homes or community facilities.The Whipsnade Parish Council are looking to develop a Parish Plan. We are keen to hear from residents in Whipsnade to find out how they would like see the Village of Whipsnade in 10 years time. 

If you would like to provide any information that you feel may be relevant  then please e mail the Clerk at clerk@whipsnadeparishcouncil.org.uk