Diss & District Neighbourhood Plan
Diss Town Council and the surrounding parishes of Burston & Shimpling, Roydon and Scole (in South Norfolk), and Brome & Oakley, Palgrave and Stuston (in Mid Suffolk) have worked together to produce the Diss & District Neighbourhood Plan (the DDNP). They have been supported by officers at South Norfolk Council and Mid Suffolk District Council, with South Norfolk Council acting as the lead local authority.
The DDNP will now be used to help guide and shape future development across the designated plan area.
Please also see South Norfolk Council's DDNP webpage
Latest news...
Reg 20 Formal adoption (16 October 2023)
In an 'out of meeting' decision, Mid Suffolk District Council have agreed to adopt ('make') the Diss & District Neighbourhood Plan. This decision is effective from Monday 16 October 2023.
The DDNP now forms part of the development plan and will be used to help determine planning applications in the parishes of Brome & Oakley, Palgrave and Stuston.
- Read the adopted version of the Diss & District NP (Oct 2023)
- See the policy maps for Diss, Burston & Shimpling, Roydon, Scole, Brome & Oakley, Palgrave and Stuston
- See the adoption Decision Statement
- See the Action out of Meeting request
To see copies of the DDNP supporting evidence, please scroll down to the Reg 16 section below.
Previous stages...
Local Referendum (28 September 2023)
A local referendum on the Diss & District Neighbourhood Plan was held on Thursday 28 September 2023. The count took place the following day.
The question that was asked of those entitled to vote was:
"Do you want South Norfolk Council and Mid-Suffolk District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Diss and District to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?’
- See the Declaration of Results (a majority yes vote)
- Read the referendum version of the Diss & District NP (Aug 2023) (Note: This is a large, 27Mb file)
- See the updated policy maps (Link to these now appear above with the adopted version of the DDNP)
- Read the DDNP Basic Conditions Statement
Reg 18 Joint Decision Statement (26 July 2023)
Following publication of the independent examiners report, the two local planning authorities have agreed to accept all of the proposed modifications. Subject to the satisfactory implementation of these, they have also agreed to take the DDNP to a local referendum.
Planning Practice Guidance also provides advice on the weight to be attached to a post-examination neighbourhood plan.
Reg 17 Independent Examination (Final Report dated 19 May 2023)
Mr Andrew Ashcroft (Andrew Ashcroft Planning Ltd) was appointed to carry out an independent examination of the DDNP. The examination relied on the submitted documentation, the made representations, and the responses from the DDNP Working Group and the two Councils to matters for clarification.
On 19 May 2023, the Examiner issued his final report. It contained a number of modifications and recommended that, subject to these being implemented, the DDNP meets the basic conditions and that it should proceed to a local referendum.
- Read the DDDP Final Exam Report (19 May 2023)
- See also the Examination Correspondence document - last updated 6 March 2023
Reg 16 Submission Consultation (2 Nov to 16 Dec 2022)
In accordance with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012 (as amended), the submission draft DDNP was made available for consultation between 2 November and 16 December 2022. Printed copies of the DDNP were also made available at a number of locations throughout the designated area.
Diss Town Council (as the qualifying body) had formally submitted the following documents to South Norfolk Council and Mid Suffolk District Council:
- A map of the designated DDNP Area
- the submission draft DDNP 2021 - 2038
- separate policy maps for Diss, Burston & Shimpling, Roydon, Scole, Brome & Oakley, Palgrave and Stuston
- a Basic Conditions statement
- a Consultation Statement
- a Habitat Regulations Assessment Report (AECOM, June 2022)
- a Strategic Environmental Assessment Report (AECOM, July 2022)
- an Evidence Base document
- a Site Options & Assessment Report (AECOM, July 2022)
- the Diss & District Design Code (AECOM, Feb 2022)
- a Housing Needs Assessment (AECOM, July 2019)
- a Local Green Space Assessment Report
- a Non-designated Heritage Assets Assessment Report
- the Non-designated Heritage Assets Photo Gallery
- a Key Views Assessment Document
- the Area Application & Designation Notice documents
Respondents were instructed to send their comments directly to South Norfolk Council. Those comments were collated and are published below.
- Read the Reg 16 consultation responses (Note: This is a large file with some odd pages sizes)
Reg 15 Submission (July 2022)
The DDNP was submitted to South Norfolk Council and Mid Suffolk District Council on 15 July 2022. The two Councils worked together to ensure that the relevant requirements had been met at this stage.
Reg 14 Major Modifications Consultation (24 March to 5 May 2022)
The DDNP Working Group carried out a focused six-week consultation on modifications to their pre-submission draft plan. The consultation ended on Thursday 5 May.
Reg 14 Pre-submission Consultation (23 June to 18 August 2021)
Pre-submission consultation on the DDNP ended on 18 August 2021.
Reg 05 Area Designation (23 August 2017)
The DDNP Area was formally designated by South Norfolk Council and Mid Suffolk District Council on 23 August 2017.