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Government unveils £22.8m boost for neighbourhood plans
The government has announced a new £22.8m package to boost development of neighbourhood plans.
Housing and planning minister Alok Sharma said the cash would help build more homes and give locals more say over growth in their area.
Neighbourhood planning groups across England will be handed £5.5m a year until 2022 to spend on specialist support to help them develop a neighbourhood plan.
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Mr Sharma said: “Neighbourhood planning gives communities a powerful set of tools to shape their area and drive local growth.
“The government is committed to giving communities even more of a say in the development of their area, and that’s why we’re dedicating around £23m between 2018 and 2022 to help groups create neighbourhood plans.”
More than 400 neighbourhood plans are currently in place following local referendums, with policies on location and design of new homes, shops and offices.
Upwards of 2,200 groups have started their own neighbourhood planning process since 2012, covering areas with a total population of 12 million.
In July, Neighbourhood Planning Act reforms came into force including new rules to make councils respect emerging neighbourhood plans when making planning decisions and to put those which have been approved into effect up to eight weeks earlier.
Trudi Elliott, chief executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), said: “Having worked directly with more than 274 groups to help them develop neighbourhood plans since their inception, the RTPI knows how much people care about these plans and how important they are in shaping places and building public trust in the planning system.
“It’s also clear from our experience that people need support to make the plan-making experience easier and worthwhile, so this latest funding is very welcome.”
