Neighbourhood Development Plan
What is it the neighbourhood plan?
Neighbourhood Plans are part of the Localism Act, a planning system introduced by the government 2011.
Neighbourhood Planning is the most effective way for communities to take planning powers into their own hands to influence how their local area develops into the future. Despite its title, it is not a plan to promote development but to control what gets built and where.
Pressure to develop homes in Outwoods
The parish of Outwoods is under extreme development pressure with permission for just under 2000 homes having been approved / in the pipeline over the past two years. The Outwoods community are using the Neighbourhood Plan to make sure that those developments are the absolute best that they can be and to ensure they make a positive contribution to the parish.
The design and type of housing will be controlled as will the type of open space and facilities provided. The Outwoods Neighbourhood Plan is also being used to protect key areas of landscape considered important for the enjoyment of existing and future residents. The Outwoods Neighbourhood Plan will not just tackle housing issues. It will also seek to deal with transport, traffic, community facilities, landscape and recreation.
Development of the the plan
The plan has been prepared for the Outwoods community by the Outwoods community. This document is the product of an intensive programme of consultation and community events. Each stage of the project has evolved from the needs and wants of the community, Steering Group and Parish Council.
We would like to thank those residents who have taken the time to attend the consultation events and make their views known. All comments made have been carefully considered. Our consultant team have then translated this into a formal Planning Policy document and their interpretation checked and double checked with the community at each stage along the process.
The final version of the plan was progressed to a referendum on the 23rd July 2015 and was accepted by a large majority of those residents who voted. The Plan is now formally adopted and must be used by the local planning authority (ESBC) when making a decision on planning applications.
The Local Plan covers the wider area of East Staffordshire. Both the Neighbourhood Plan, and the Local plan which was adopted in October 2015 have to conform to the National Planning Policy Framework.