Neighbourhood planning
How neighbourhood planning works
Learn how neighbourhood planning works, what it can do, who pays for it, how it affects planning decisions and the support we provide to parish councils, town councils and neighbourhood forums.
What neighbourhood planning can do
A neighbourhood plan can guide development so it better reflects local needs and helps decide where development goes. It cannot stop development in your area.
Paying for neighbourhood planning
The parish council, town council or neighbourhood forum will pay to prepare a neighbourhood plan. The Localism Act suggests that the business community could contribute towards the costs.
The government has made grants available to groups producing neighbourhood plans or neighbourhood development orders.
We will pay for the independent examination and referendum.
How neighbourhood plans affect planning decisions
Once adopted, a neighbourhood plan becomes a statutory planning document. It forms part of the local development plan for Swindon and will be taken into account when planning applications are decided.
Who makes planning decisions
The local planning authority makes the final decision on planning applications. The community leads on preparing the neighbourhood plan and setting out policies for development in the area, but we decide planning applications in line with those policies.
The role of the local planning authority
We have a duty to provide technical advice and support to communities through the draft neighbourhood planning protocol. We cannot control your neighbourhood plan preparation process or produce a neighbourhood plan on behalf of the community.
We also have a duty to cooperate with parish councils, town councils and neighbourhood forums that are preparing a plan.
Our responsibilities include:
- confirming the formal designation of a neighbourhood forum or an area as a neighbourhood plan area for neighbourhood plan making
- cooperating with parish councils, town councils or neighbourhood forums and providing technical advice and support to prepare the plan
- validating and checking a plan before it is submitted for independent examination
- paying for the independent examination
- paying for the referendum
- formally adopting the neighbourhood plan and bringing it into force
Further information
You can read more about neighbourhood planning on the following websites: