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What is Neighbourhood Planning?

Neighbourhood planning was introduced through the Localism Act in 2011 and gives communities the opportunity to shape and define how their area should grow and change in the future.

A Neighbourhood (Development) Plan enables communities to establish planning policies for the development and use of land in a neighbourhood. Certain formal steps have to be taken to comply with the legislation contained in the Localism Act 2011, including independent examination and a local referendum before the plan can be adopted by the Local Planning Authority and used to guide planning decisions.

In Northumberland National Park, this must be led by parish councils. There are 30 parish councils covering Northumberland National Park and all include at least some land which lies within Northumberland County Council’s Planning Authority. In most cases, therefore, communities wishing to pursue a Neighbourhood Plan will require support from both Planning Authorities. Information on Neighbourhood Planning at Northumberland County Council can be found here.

Current applications for Neighbourhood Areas

The designation of a neighbourhood area is the first formal stage in preparing a Neighbourhood Plan (see the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012).

There are no pending Neighbourhood Area applications in the Northumberland National Park.

Area Designations

Find out more about the areas designated for neighbourhood planning.

Haydon Parish

Result of Referendum

The Haydon Neighbourhood Plan was successful at referendum on Thursday 30 June 2022. The declaration of result is set out below:

Haydon-Parish-NP-Referendum-FINAL PLAN

Haydon-Referendum-NP-Policies-Map-Inset-A2-portrait

Haydon-ReferendumNP-Policies-Map-A0-Portrait

Referendum

The decision to accept the examiner’s recommendations and take the plan to referendum has been agreed by both NCC and NNPA. Both authorities have considered each of the recommendations made by the independent examiner and have agreed to accept the recommendations.  This action has been agreed with Haydon Parish Council.

The Haydon Parish Neighbourhood Plan, as modified, will now proceed to a local referendum on 30 June 2022. The Plan will now be given significant weight in decision making.

The Referendum version of the Plan and related documents are available below.

NNPA Reg 18 decision statement April 2022

Haydon NP Information Statement (1)

Examiners Report

Haydon NP Summary of Reg 16 Reps

Submission of Draft Plan

In November 2021 Haydon Parish Council, as the qualifying body for the purposes of neighbourhood planning for the Haydon Neighbourhood Area, submitted the Haydon Parish Neighbourhood Plan to Northumberland County Council for Independent Examination.

The Authority is satisfied that the submission is complete and complies with legal requirements. The Plan will now proceed to independent examination.

The Plan and supporting documents can be found below:

The following evidence base documents are also being made available:

Details of the Independent Examination process will be updated on this page in due course.

Area Designation

Northumberland National Park Authority (NNPA) has designated the Haydon Parish Neighbourhood Area for the purposes of Neighbourhood Planning under Section 61G(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). The preparation of a Neighbourhood Development Plan will be steered by Haydon Parish Council.

The Authority’s decision only relates to the part of the Neighbourhood Area which is within the National Park boundary. The remaining part of the Neighbourhood Area lies within the administrative area of Northumberland County Council and the decision to designate that part of the area has been made by that Authority.

The application letters and maps can be viewed below:

Documents relating to the neighbourhood area designation can be viewed below:

Further information on the draft Neighbourhood Development Plan and how it is progressing can be found on the Haydon Bridge Neighbourhood Plan website at: http://www.haydon-bridge.co.uk/community-parishprojects.php

Mid-Coquetdale

Area Designation

Northumberland National Park Authority (NNPA) has designated the Mid-Coquetdale Neighbourhood Area for the purposes of Neighbourhood Planning under Section 61G(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). Rothbury Parish Council has been recognised as the ‘Relevant Body’ to undertake the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan on behalf of themselves, Cartington Parish Council, Thropton Parish Council and Whitton and Tosson Parish Council. The Parish Council has established a steering group to oversee the preparation of their Neighbourhood Development Plan.

The application letters and maps can be viewed below:

Documents relating to the neighbourhood area designation can be viewed below:

Plan progress update – May 2017

In May 2017, the Steering Group decided to postpone progressing with the Neighbourhood Plan until the examination of the Northumberland Local Plan Core Strategy is concluded. You can find information in relation to the Core Strategy examination on Northumberland County Council’s website here.

Plan progress update – February 2018

As of 14th February 2018, the Parish Councils of Rothbury, Cartington, Thropton and Whitton and Tosson informed NCC and NNPA of their decision to cease work on the Mid Coquetdale Neighbourhood Plan and disband the Steering Group. The area will remain designated as a neighbourhood area, which would mean work on a neighbourhood plan for the designated area could recommence at a future date should the Parish Councils wish to do so.

Tarset and Greystead

Withdrawal

Tarset and Greystead Parish Council informed Northumberland National Park Authority and Northumberland County Council of the withdrawal of the Tarset and Greystead Neighbourhood Development Plan from examination on 20 January 2017. Consequently, the plan will not be proceeding to a referendum.

Independent Examination

An independent examination of the Tarset and Greystead Neighbourhood Development Plan was completed in January 2016. Northumberland National Park Authority subsequently engaged in discussions with the Parish Council and Northumberland County Council in deciding whether the plan should progress to a referendum.

Wooler

Formal ‘making’ of the Wooler Neighbourhood Plan

Following the successful referendum, the Wooler Neighbourhood Plan was formally ‘made’ at a meeting of the Authority on 15th December 2021.

Now that the neighbourhood plan is formally ‘made’, it becomes part of the statutory development plan. Consequently, decisions on whether or not to grant planning permission in the Wooler Neighbourhood Area will need to be made in accordance with the plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

A decision statement confirming that the Plan has been made and brought into legal force has now been published. This is available via the link below:

Decision Statement

The Wooler Neighbourhood Plan and policies maps can be viewed by clicking on the links below:

Wooler Neighbourhood Plan – Made Version

Wooler Neighbourhood Plan – Made Version Policies Map

Wooler Neighbourhood Plan – Made Version Policies Map Inset

In line with the requirements of the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004, the Council has prepared a Regulation 16 Adoption Statement for the Wooler Neighbourhood Plan.

Referendum
Northumberland County Council, as lead authority, has considered each of the recommendations made by the independent examiner and has agreed to accept the recommendations.  This action has been agreed with Wooler Parish Council and the Northumberland National Park Authority.

Considering COVID-19 and updated government regulations the Wooler Neighbourhood Plan, as modified, will now proceed to a local referendum on 10 June 2021. The Plan will now be given significant weight in decision making.

The Referendum version of the Plan and related documents are available below:

Independent Examination
The independent examination of the Wooler Neighbourhood Plan has been completed. The report of the Independent Examiner was published on 26 May 2020.

Click here to view the report following Independent Examination

The publicity period for the Submission Draft Wooler Neighbourhood Plan ended on Monday 30 March 2020. Rosemary Kidd was appointed to carry out the independent examination of the draft Plan. The examination began on Friday 20 March 2020.

Northumberland County Council, Wooler Parish Council and the Northumberland National Park Authority prepared responses to the Independent Examiner’s Questions and Clarification note. These responses can be viewed below:

Click here to view the response on behalf of Northumberland National Park Authority

Area Designation

Northumberland National Park Authority (NNPA) has designated the Wooler Neighbourhood Area for the purposes of Neighbourhood Planning under Section 61G(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). The preparation of a Neighbourhood Development Plan will be steered by Wooler Parish Council.

The Authority’s decision only relates to the part of the Neighbourhood Area which is within the National Park boundary. The remaining part of the Neighbourhood Area lies within the administrative area of Northumberland County Council and the decision to designate that part of the area has been made by that Authority.

The application letters and maps can be viewed below:

Documents relating to the neighbourhood area designation can be viewed below:

Further information on the draft Neighbourhood Development Plan and how it is progressing can be found on the Wooler Neighbourhood Plan website at: http://www.woolerneighbourhoodplan.org/

Humshaugh

Designation of neighbourhood area

An application by Humshaugh Parish Council to designate the civil parish of Humshaugh as a neighbourhood area was approved by Northumberland National Park Authority on 16th March 2022.

2022 03 Report 9 Humshaugh Neighbourhood Plan (002)

Whittingham, Callaly and Alnham

Designation of neighbourhood area

An application by Whittingham, Calally and Alnham Parish Council to designate the civil parish of Whittingham, Calally and Alnham as a neighbourhood area was approved by Northumberland National Park Authority on 27th April 2022.

The relevant documents can be viewed below

Notice of Area Designation Whittingham Callaly Alnham

Whittingham Neighbourhood Area Designation Delegated Report