Issue details

The council has received an application under the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended) regulation 5 for the designation of a neighbourhood area and an application for the designation of a neighbourhood forum under regulation 8 for the purposes of preparing a neighbourhood development plan.

There is no Parish Council/Town Council which covers the proposed neighbourhood area. In this situation, a group is able to form a forum for the area for the purposes of preparing a neighbourhood development plan providing it meets defined statutory requirements.

Following agreement that the area designation and the forum meet statutory requirements, the council is required to publicise the details of the area and the proposed forum for comments.

Once a Neighbourhood Development Plan has been “made” (adopted), it forms part of the council’s development plan and has considerable weight in determining planning decisions.

The purpose of the report will be:

·         To present the officer’s view on whether the applications comply with statutory requirements and to seek endorsement of the propose designations.

·         To feedback comments received through the publicity of the applications.

The Regulations prescribe time limits for the determination of a neighbourhood area application. Except where a local planning authority is required to designate the whole of a parish, applications must be determined within 13 weeks of first being publicised, or 20 weeks where the application relates to more than one local planning authority area. If these time limits are not met, the local planning authority must designate all of the area applied for.

The neighbourhood area applied for covers Netherton and South Crosland. 

It borders two designated neighbourhood development plan areas: Newsome Neighbourhood Development Plan Area and Holme Valley Neighbourhood Development Plan Area and adjoins the boundary of the administrative area covered by Meltham Town Council.