Neighbourhood planning and local development orders
Neighbourhood plans
Neighbourhood planning gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area.
They are able to choose where they want new homes, shops and offices to be built, have their say on what those new buildings should look like and what infrastructure should be provided, and grant planning permission for the new buildings they want to see go ahead.
Neighbourhood planning provides a powerful set of tools for local people to ensure that they get the right types of development for their community where the ambition of the neighbourhood is aligned with the strategic needs and priorities of the wider local area.
How do neighbourhood plans work?
Local communities can choose to:
- set planning policies through a neighbourhood plan that is used in determining planning applications.
- grant planning permission through Neighbourhood Development Orders and Community Right to Build Orders for specific development which complies with the order.
Neighbourhood planning is not a legal requirement but a right which communities in England can choose to use.
Communities may decide that they could achieve the outcomes they want to see through other planning routes, such as incorporating their proposals for the neighbourhood into the Local Plan, or through other planning mechanisms such as Local Development Orders and supplementary planning documents or through pre-application consultation on development proposals.
Communities and local planning authorities should discuss the different choices communities have to achieving their ambitions for their neighbourhood.
Find out more about neighbourhood plans
Local Development Orders
Local Development Orders (LDOs) were introduced with the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and regulations outlined in DCLG Circular 01/2006.
This legislation permits local planning authorities (LPAs) to create LDOs that grant permission for certain types of development or use class changes and by so doing, removes the need for a planning application to be made.
We have developed two Local Development Orders. They are:
