Neighbourhood planning
Neighbourhood plans in progress
Find the latest information about neighbourhood plans in progress, including examinations, consultations and supporting documents.
Additional consultation on the Highworth Neighbourhood Development Plan modification
Examination of the Highworth neighbourhood development plan (modification proposal)
The Highworth Neighbourhood Development Plan review (first revision) has been independently examined.
An independent examiner assessed whether the proposed changes meet legal requirements and national planning policy before the plan can proceed.
The examination was carried out by Edward F Cousins BA, BL, LLM, Barrister.
The final report was issued on 6 July 2026.
The report concludes that, subject to recommended modifications, the neighbourhood plan meets the required conditions and should proceed to a referendum.
Why we consulted again
New planning regulations came into force on 25 March 2026. These are the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (Commencement No. 11 and Saving and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2026.
The regulations introduced new legal compliance requirements and Basic Conditions for neighbourhood plans. They did not include a transition period for neighbourhood plans that were already under examination when the changes came into force.
Because of this, we gave stakeholders a two-week period to comment on the impact of these changes on the Highworth Neighbourhood Development Plan.
The consultation ran from 8 May 2026 to 22 May 2026.
You can read more about this consultation in the following documents:
- Highworth Neighbourhood Development Plan Clarification Note 2 (PDF)
- SBC Response to HNP2 Clarification Note 2 (PDF)
All plan documents and previous correspondence are available on the Highworth Town Council neighbourhood plan website.
Highworth Neighbourhood Plan review
Targeted Regulation 16 consultation on the Modifications Statement
Between 9 October 2025 and 20 November 2025, we held a targeted consultation on the Modifications Statement to the Highworth Neighbourhood Plan 2.
Background
As the Local Planning Authority, we carried out a Regulation 16 consultation on the Highworth Neighbourhood Plan 2, which is the modification proposal, from 13 December 2024 to 7 February 2025.
Following the appointment of an independent examiner, it was decided that a further targeted consultation on a Modifications Statement to the Highworth Neighbourhood Plan 2 should be carried out by the Qualifying Body, Highworth Parish Council, and the Local Planning Authority, Swindon Borough Council.
Highworth Town Council carried out a targeted consultation on the Modifications Statement between 26 June 2025 and 20 August 2025.
We invited representations specifically on the Modifications Statement. Any representations made at the initial pre-submission Regulation 16 consultation were retained and considered by the examiner.
View the documents
You can view the Modifications Statement below. This statement sets out whether the Qualifying Body considers that the modifications in the modification proposal are so significant or substantial that they change the nature of the made neighbourhood development plan.
All documents consulted on previously, and required at Regulation 15, are available on the Highworth Town Council neighbourhood plan website.
All comments received have now been passed to an independent examiner. The examiner will consider the representations and recommend whether the draft Modification Proposal should be put to a community referendum.