Community Planning

Communities change all the time and most people have strong opinions on whether this change is for better or worse.

Neighbourhood Plans give local communities the power to shape development in their area. Once ‘made’ (adopted) they become part of the development plan for the National Park and the policies and proposals contained within them are used in the determination of planning applications, including appeals.

Community Planning encompasses a range of different techniques and can be used as evidence to attract funding for local projects, help mobilise volunteers to tackle local issues, provide detailed and local information on landscape or design and bring the community together. The Statement of Community Involvement can be read here.

Over 50 parishes in the South Downs National Park have, or are, in the process of preparing a Neighbourhood Plan and more than half the parishes are involved in the process of producing a Community Plan, so there are plenty of examples out there to help you decide which plan suits your community.

Reviewing a Neighbourhood Plan

Reviews of NDPs should mirror the review of the Local Plan.

The Corporate Plan (2020-2025) commits the Authority to supporting qualifying bodies in the review of their NDPs in 2023-24.

Some qualifying bodies have carried out or are carrying out light touch reviews (updating policy references and correcting errors), for example Petersfield and Kirdford.

Some parishes are starting NDPs for the first time, which are likely to follow the Local Plan Review, for example, Greatham and East Dean.

Qualifying bodies are advised not to start new plans or reviews of their Neighbourhood Plans until the Local Plan Review has passed its examination stage and the development strategy and strategic policies have been tested by the Planning Inspectorate.