Neighbourhood Planning
The Localism Act 2011 introduced a range of new rights and powers. One of those rights was neighbourhood planning.
Neighbourhood Development Plans (NDPs, or NPs) give local communities the opportunity to develop a shared vision for their area. Each Plan should be 'positively prepared’ and ‘add real value’ at local level.
Unlike a parish plan or village design statement, neighbourhood plans have statutory weight and status. Once adopted ('made'), they become part of the development plan for the designated area and are used to help determine planning applications, where relevant.
Across both districts, around 60 parishes have embarked on the NP process. Of those, 26 have now been adopted - and many others are at an advanced stage.
To find out more about the progress of each NP in Babergh or Mid Suffolk, please follow the green tiles at the bottom of this page.
Other sources of information on neighbourhood planning
To help decide if a NP is right for your community, read our Guide to Community-led Planning Tools (July 2022). This summarises the various advantages and disadvantages of the options available.
We also recommend visiting Locality's Neighbourhood Planning website, especially the:
We also recommend: