Harrogate Borough Council has formally designated the Dishforth Neighbourhood Area, which is the first step in the process of preparing a Neighbourhood Plan for Dishforth.
Following the introduction of the Localism Act (2011) communities are now able to prepare a plan for their neighbourhood. Once neighbourhood plans have been adopted they will form part of the development plan for the district.
Neighbourhood planning allows people to come together through a parish or town council, or via a neighbourhood forum, and say what their area needs; where they think new houses, businesses and shops should be located; and what they should look like.
The neighbourhood plan is required to be in line with national planning policy and plans that are prepared locally. Harrogate Borough Council is currently preparing a new Local Plan for the district.
Neighbourhood plans cannot make provision for less development than higher level plans. For example, a neighbourhood plan cannot attempt to designate a site as protected open space in order to prevent development on land that has already been allocated for development as identified in adopted planning policies. They can however, use neighbourhood planning to plan for greater levels of development and to influence the type, design, location and mix of new development.
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Councillor Rebecca Burnett, Harrogate Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainable Transport, formally designated the Dishforth Neighbourhood Area on Thursday 9 February 2017, following a submission by the Parish Council. The area covered by the Dishforth Neighbourhood Area is the same as the current Parish Council boundary.
Councillor Rebecca Burnett said: Dishforth Parish Council has now taken a major first step towards preparing a neighbourhood plan for the area.
The team can now move forward and begin involving the local community in a neighbourhood planning project for Dishforth.
The neighbourhood plan team, set up by the Parish Council, can be contacted at enquiries@dishforthvillage.org.uk, telephone 01845 577539 or via their website at www.dishforthvillage.org.uk
For further information on neighbourhood planning go to www.harrogate.gov.uk/neighbourhoodplanning, e-mail planningpolicy@harrogate.gov.uk or telephone 01423 500600.
