What is a Neighbourhood Plan and why do we need one?
The Localism Act of 2012 gives parishes such as ours the opportunity to have a greater say in the future development of their area by creating a Neighbourhood Plan which defines such items as where we would like new housing to be built; the mix of housing types needed; and the infrastructure needs to support growth of our parish.
A properly prepared and adopted Neighbourhood Plan has legal status alongside SODC’s Local Plan and will eventually sit alongside the Local Plan 2033 as a part of the Local Development Scheme. This means that it must be taken into account when applications are considered for planning permission.
The Neighbourhood Plan gives all 705 residents of the Lewknor Parish community a new way of influencing planning decisions. By having an adopted Neighbourhood Plan, we have a legally enforceable way of controlling at least some aspects of future development in our Parish.
If we do not have a Neighbourhood Development Plan, the SODC Local Plan 2033 - Sites and General policies document will control these decisions.