What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

In very simple terms, a neighbourhood plan is:

A document that sets out planning policies for the neighbourhood area – planning policies are used to decide whether to approve planning applications
Written by the local community, the people who know and love the area, rather than the Local Planning Authority
A powerful tool to ensure the community gets the right types of development, in the right place.

Local people can create a plan that allows them to develop planning policies that reflect the priorities of their area and have real legal weight. The whole community then decides at a referendum vote whether the local authority should bring the plan into force.

A neighbourhood plan is an important document with real legal force, therefore there are certain formal procedures that it must go through.

A Neighbourhood plan provides the opportunity for local people to set out a positive vision for how they want to shape their community. They can decide on planning policies that will help deliver that vision or grant planning permission for the development they want to see.

External Links for Neighbourhood Planning information:

How does a Neighbourhood Plan work?

In May 2020, the Chelmsford Local Plan for the period from 2013-2036 was adopted. Refer to the Links section of this website for a link to the plan. The Local Plan identifies the number and locations for houses, jobs and businesses planned for the Chelmsford area, along with the infrastructure needed to support the proposed growth. This includes where children will go to school, where people will work, and how they will get around. It considers issues such as such as new roads, sustainable travel, access to the outdoors using green spaces and the wider countryside. It includes planning policies which will be used to decide planning applications, and settlement boundaries for our towns and villages to protect green spaces.

A neighbourhood plan for Boreham must be aligned to the Chelmsford Local Plan but once made, it will have the same legal status as the Local Plan at a local level. The neighbourhood plan becomes part of the statutory development plan will be considered when determining applications for planning permission.

Why do we need a Neighbourhood Plan for Boreham?

A Neighbourhood Plan is an opportunity for local people to get involved future of their community. It allows us to create local policies which are specific to sites within the Boreham parish and to acknowledge the special qualities of the area.

It can be a challenging process to develop a Neighbourhood Plan but there are many potential benefits to the community. The Neighbourhood Plan can promote local distinctiveness, protect and encourage pedestrian and cycle routes and influence the scale, height and density of buildings. It can also designate local green space, trees and woodlands, housing sites and address other issues relating to the development of the community.

A Neighbourhood Plan cannot place a cap on development or affect strategic issues such as green belt boundaries and it cannot be used to object to existing planning applications or change speed limits on the roads but it is a way for the local community to have much greater influence on the future of our village.

Best of Boreham Photography

What have we done already?

During the year the Parish Council has agreed to develop, with partners and volunteers, a Neighbourhood Plan for Boreham. A number of volunteers responded to our request for help in developing the Neighbourhood Plan and the Steering Group is up and running. This process is likely to take up to two years and there will be many opportunities for Parishioners to have their say in the Plan or to volunteer to help develop it.

How You Can Get Involved

Call 01245 469941 or Contact Us