What happens next?
Publicising the plan
When we receive your neighbourhood plan and consultation statement, we publicise it for six weeks to invite further feedback. We collate any replies into a report.
Examination
The next step is for the draft neighbourhood plan to be examined by an independent examiner. The examiner:
- checks whether the draft neighbourhood plan meets the basic conditions set out in paragraph 8 of schedule 4B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended)
- requests any necessary changes to the plan to enable it to meet the requirements - the Council must make these changes
- decides if the plan doesn’t meet the requirements and can’t be changed in order to meet them
Referendum
If the examiner is satisfied that the plan meets requirements, the Council organises a referendum.
Anyone living in the neighbourhood area who is normally eligible to vote in local elections is eligible to vote. Polling arrangements are same as for elections, although the polling station may be in a different location.
Formalising the plan
If the majority of referendum votes are favour of the draft neighbourhood plan becoming part of the Council's local development framework, it will come into legal force. This happens via a key decision taken by the cabinet member for Planning Policy, Transport and Arts.