Neighbourhood Plans are now a well established part of England’s planning framework.   The Localism Act 2011 amended the Town and Country Planning Act, to introduce this very local layer of planning.  Over 800 neighbourhood plans are now in force across England.

The St Quintin and Woodlands Neighbourhood Plan, and its supporting documents can be downloaded from the RB Kensington and Chelsea website at this link.

Neighbourhood Plans are prepared by parish councils, in parished areas of England, and by Neighbourhood Forums elsewhere.  London is not a parished area.  The capital now has one ‘community council’ in Queens Park, but elsewhere the London Boroughs are the layer of local government closest to the community level.

A Neighbourhood Plan becomes part of the statutory development plan for the area, if successful at a referendum.  This statutory status gives them far more weight than some other previous local planning documents, such as parish plans, community plans, and village design statements.

A Neighbourhood Plan must comply with European and national legislation and must have appropriate regard to national policy.  It must also be in ‘general conformity’ with existing ‘strategic’ local planning policies.

For more details of the current picture on neighbourhood planning in London, see at http://www.neighbourhoodplanners.london/