Neighbourhood Planning Consultation

Greg Clark Excerpts

Thursday 13th October 2011 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Greg Clark)]

Neighbourhood planning is central to the Government’s decentralisation, localism and big society agenda. With greater decentralisation of planning powers, people are being given the opportunity to shape and influence the places where they live and they have more reasons to say “yes” to sustainable development.

The Department for Communities and Local Government is today launching a consultation, which seeks views on the Government’s proposed new regulations governing the process for establishing neighbourhood areas and forums, the requirements of community right to build organisations, and the preparation of neighbourhood plans and orders, and community right to build orders.

The consultation sets out how the Government propose to take up the regulation-making powers in the Localism Bill for neighbourhood planning and community right to build. The regulations proposed set out the minimum level of requirements that would ensure a nationally consistent approach to designating neighbourhood areas and neighbourhood forums, and the preparation of neighbourhood plans and neighbourhood development orders. The consultation asks for comments on whether the regulations as proposed are workable and proportionate.

The closing date for responses will be 5 January 2012.

I am placing a copy of the consultation document and the draft regulations in the Library of the House.