Workshop 2: Choosing the right type of community-led plan - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Broadland & South Norfolk Community-led Planning Programme

Workshop 2:

Choosing the right type of community-led plan

Introduction:

Making the right choice

John Walchester, Interim Joint Spatial Planning Manager Broadland District Council & South Norfolk Council

Insert Title Here Housekeeping

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• Workshop 1 touched on innovations and developments in

community-led planning over the years.

• E.g. village appraisals, rural exception sites, community

land trusts, parish plans, neighbourhood plans etc.

• Idea of community-led planning ‘toolkit’.
• Different CLPs have different benefits and purposes.
• How do you make sure you choose the one that’s

right for your community?

Overview

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• Is it going to deliver local aspirations?
• Is the solution appropriate to the scale of the issue(s)?
• Community support
• Commitment of volunteer time
• Commitment of funding and other resources

Why it’s important

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• Weight afforded to certain CLPs
• Neighbourhood Plans
• Neighbourhood Development Orders
• Community Right to Build Orders
• Incentives – having one of the above in place means 25% CIL for the

parish, rather than 15% (capped).

• A Neighbourhood Plan that allocates housing gives 2 years

‘protection’ where LPA housing policies considered out of date.

• BUT… other initiatives such as exception sites and CLTs actually

deliver development that the community wants. Design Statements can become SPDs etc.

Influence and Incentives

All form part of the statutory planning system, once made

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• Different tools are not mutually exclusive – can use them in
• combination. E.g.
• Neighbourhood Plan incorporating a Neighbourhood Development Order
• Community Right to Build Order involving a Community Land Trust
• Parish Plan which includes a Community Infrastructure Audit
• Could undertake initial engagement with community to find
• ut what the broad issues are, before deciding on an

appropriate CLP.

• If unsure, talk to your local planning authority, other

communities that have done CLP, bodies such as Community Action Norfolk, Planning Aid, Locality etc.

Other considerations

Different types of community-led plan and their benefits

Rik Martin, Operations Manager Community Action Norfolk

Community Led Planning

General principles

• Wide range of tools available - just depends what you want to do
• All about one thing - Knowing your community and its wishes
• Each tool identifies particular aspects of your community and may be used in different

ways separately or together. – A Neighbourhood Plan will give you more say over housing decisions

– A Community Led Plan or Parish plan may have less weight legally but can cover wider aspects of community and provide evidence for Neighbourhood plans, funding applications etc. – Community infrastructure Audits and Community Asset audits can help you understand what you have and how it is used (or why it isn’t) and what you need in the future – A Village Design Statement can you help you protect the character of the village impacting on landscaping, design, speed limits, road signs etc – Housing Needs Surveys can help you identify capacity for additional affordable housing – Emergency Planning can be another incentive and an additional supplement or embedded into other plans

Community Led Plan or Neighbourhood Plan?

Extract from presentation by David Potter, South and Vale of White Horse District Cou

• How much time do you have?
• Incorporating other consultations to

provide additional evidence

• How much engagement from community?
• Which communities should we include?
• What issues do you want to address?
• Is housing your only concern?

Community Led Plan or Neighbourhood plan considerations?

Making a choice

• What is it?

– Created by Parish/Town Councils – Provide more detailed priorities for development in your community – Gives you an opportunity to ensure the needs

• f your community are considered

– Give everyone in the community a say – Carries more weight as it is a legal process

Neighbourhood plans

– Neighbourhood Development Plans

• Policy document
• Outlines what kind of development allowed, locations preferred, areas to be protected, specific

needs of the community (eg local shop, affordable housing, green space)

– Neighbourhood Development Orders

• Can grant planning permission for particular types of development in specified

areas.(removing need for standard planning application)

• Requires a local referendum to approve once assessed
• Could be used to build the shop identified in the plan.

– Right to Build Orders

• Type of Neighbourhood development order which allows any local community organisation to

identify development need

• Must exist to further the economic environmental and social wellbeing of the community in

question

• Could be used to develop a community owned shop, Community housing, playgrounds,

community hubs.

• Note these may be used singly or together and development orders/right to build can

be identified as part of development plan and put into place as required

3 parts to Neighbourhood plan

• Decide the broad type of development and

location

• Identifiy priorities - regeneration, derelict land

brown sites

• Protect special areas of the countryside and

important buildings.

• Reduce risks (flooding)
• Reduce travel by providing land for homes,

schools, shops and businesses close together.

• ENSURE YOU GET THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT

FROM COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY (CIL)

Neighbourhood Plans – what can they influence?

• Stop development that is identified in the

local plan

• Ensure developments go ahead once

planning permission is granted

• Decide who builds what or which business
• pen
• Stop businesses, schools or hospitals from

closing.

Neighbourhood Plans – what they cannot do

Parish/Town Plans

• Parish Plans can be used to make sure

local concerns and characteristics are taken into account

• Influence how local services are delivered
• can be fed into other plans and strategies

influence

• Community Led Housing
• Development Trusts
• Community Land Trusts
• Cohousing
• Self-help Housing
• Group or community self-build.

Opportunities for housing/community assets

• Where the land comes from can affect how it

is used – this can be used to your advantage

– Poors or charity land - retains charitable purpose – Rural exceptions sites - affordable housing for community only – Section 106 conditions opportunity for new community assets – Parish owned lands allows you to set conditions

• f sale

Land for housing

Other options – informal community-led plans

John Walchester, Interim Joint Spatial Planning Manager Broadland District Council & South Norfolk Council

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• Informal, brief document setting out vision and aspirations for how community

sees itself developing over next few years.

• In common with other community-led plans, will involve engagement with the

community to understand local views, needs and opinions.

• Could set out community’s views on where it feels development should occur,

what type, scale, character of development might be most appropriate, what the local infrastructure requirements are, which areas need protecting etc.

• Could be used to influence development of emerging Local Plan.
• Does not have statutory weight in the planning system.
• Useful way of empowering community to start identifying its aspirations for

the future.

Community planning statements

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• Map/inventory of community’s resources – physical (& social)
• What is already available and how is it being used?
• Where are gaps? How could things be improved? What are aspirations of

community?

• Research can be done by:
• Walking the area in groups
• Desk-based (aerial/street views, other plans and strategies)
• Surveys (online or hard-copy formats)
• Focus/discussion groups
• Mapping the various assets visually can aid discussions
• Should be further engagement on prioritisation
• Use the information to stimulate action – funding bids for improvements etc.

Community infrastructure audits

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Community-led planning scenarios: Group Exercise

Richard Squires, Senior Community Planning Officer Broadland District Council

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• Different scenarios have been produced, where the

development of a particular type of community-led plan could be beneficial in each specific situation.

• Decide what type of community-led plan(s) could be

most useful in each scenario.

• 15 minutes discussion
• 10 minutes answering (and grabbing coffee!)

Community-led planning scenarios

Insert Title Here CLP Flowchart

Insert Title Here Case Studies

Insert Title Here Scenario 1

A medium sized village on the fringe of an urban area has been identified for significant development over the next 10-20 years, which would mean that the population would grow significantly. The community are concerned about the current infrastructure and facilities and the impact that the new development may have on them. As the local authority implements Community Infrastructure Levy, it means that the Parish Council will be in receipt of large sums of money to be spent on infrastructure in the community if these developments come to fruition. In light of this the community want to be as prepared as possible to see what gaps they have in current provision and what facilities and services may need improvements. Recommended Community Planning Tool: Community Infrastructure Audit

Insert Title Here Scenario 2

A recent new build application in a rural parish caused quite a stir by using some very modern building techniques and materials, with the proposal of a balcony that fronted

• nto the main street that was described by one member of the community as looking

like ‘some sort of spaceship’. Due to the unprecedented feedback the parish council received over this application it was felt that the community should try to encourage developers/householders to design new builds and extensions in a manner that is in keeping with the existing local character. The parish council does not want to go down the route of detailing where development should take place. Recommended Community Planning Tool: Village Design Statement

Insert Title Here Scenario 3

The local Parish Council is concerned with the state of the village amenities and the lack of social activities for its residents. The parish have completed a questionnaire about what is important to the community and it was overwhelmingly in favour of improving the current play areas, as well as tidying the local street scene of litter and dog mess. There was also a big demand for a social club at the village hall. The community is also concerned about a recent rise in anti-social behaviour and a spate of burglaries, with the suggestion that setting up a neighbourhood watch scheme may be appropriate. Recommended Community Planning Tool: Parish/Town Plan

Insert Title Here Scenario 4

A small rural community wants a new village hall because its current one is beyond repair. The village has not been allocated any housing within the Local Plan. The parish council doesn’t own any land and there is no suitable land within the settlement limit that could be developed. There are a handful of sites adjacent to the settlement limit, owned by various private landowners, one of which was promoted by a landowner/developer for inclusion as a site for housing development during Local Plan consultations. It was not included in the Local Plan, as no housing allocations were being sought within the village. The landowner is willing to provide the village hall if it helps achieve development that he seeks. There are a number of other issues which the community would like to address, including preserving the rural character of the village, protecting green spaces and encouraging small- scale employment.

Recommended Community Planning Tool: Neighbourhood Plan

Insert Title Here Scenario 5

The Parish Council planning committee has noted that they seem to continually be making the same comments on planning applications based on a perception of community views from limited feedback they are receiving from the community. As part of their meetings the group feel that it might be helpful to pro-actively collate the views of the community on development such as preferred locations, type, scale, character and local infrastructure needs. The resulting document could then be used as a consultation response in relation to future, emerging local plans and planning applications, as well as highlighting community aspirations for the future. Recommended Community Planning Tool: Community Planning Statement

Insert Title Here Scenario 6

As part of a housing needs survey carried out by the District Council a village just

• utside the commuter belt was identified as being in need of housing, but was

hindered by the fact there were no suitable sites available within the settlement limit for any such development. The District Council no longer holds its own housing stock, but does maintain a housing list for people looking to get on the housing ladder who have a local connection to the parish, either through family or employment. A site has been identified just outside the settlement limit which would be suitable for providing 15 affordable homes through a housing trust. Recommended Community Planning Tool: Rural Exception Site

Insert Title Here Scenario 7

The community have recently been the subject of a housing needs survey and it has been identified as having 52 households in housing need. The village has not had any sites identified for development in the Local Plan and there are no plans by any housing associations to build here in the immediate future. Further, there are no current private housing developments under construction or with planning consent where affordable homes are to be provided or where funds have been made available for the provision of affordable homes off-site. The community are very focused on resolving this issue and want to be fully involved in finding a solution that has long term benefits for the parish. The parish council do own two medium sized fields and would be willing to discuss using these. Recommended Community Planning Tool: Community Right to Build Order

Insert Title Here Scenario 8

The local community have become increasingly aware that house prices are rising and young people within the village are being priced out of the market for housing compared to the average earning for the area. The only local pub in the village has also recently closed, leading to a real loss of community spirit as this was a focal point for locals to gather. The parish council does not own any land in the village but has been made aware, following a discussion with a group of enthusiastic volunteers, that a local landowner may be willing to sell some land for a community use, providing it stays within the community’s hands. Recommended Community Planning Tool: Community Land Trust

Insert Title Here Scenario 9

Owners of caravans in a rural community find they are unable to sell their homes. The

• riginal planning permission was given for a caravan park in a village location, with a

specific condition that only allowed full time occupancy of the caravans to the initial

• wners.

This poses a problem for any of the residents who may wish to now sell their caravan and of course for any prospective buyers, as any new owner would only be allowed to

• ccupy the caravan for 11 months of the year.

These caravans were seen as a low cost housing option for the community, but with a condition preventing full time occupation for subsequent owners, it means there is little chance of the current owners being able to move on releasing these homes to the

• pen market.

Recommended Community Planning Tool: Neighbourhood Development Order

Table discussion

Table discussion

• 1. Which type of community-led plan might work best in

your community and why?

• 2. What support might you need to carry this out?

Getting started

Richard Squires, Senior Community Planning Officer Broadland District Council

Insert Title Here Forming the steering group

• Steering group responsible for day-to-day management of process.
• Interested and committed volunteers representing a cross-section of community.
• Steering group accountable to / reports back to parish/town council.
• Representation might include:
• Interested residents
• Representatives of parish/town council
• Representatives of community organisations
• Business owners
• Landowners
• Could recruit members via:
• Public meeting
• Letter to organisations/clubs/societies
• Direct approach
• Aims, structure, reporting etc. set out in terms of reference.

Insert Title Here Terms of Reference

What will the group do? Start with main aim and then be more specific. How many members? Representation; Committee

• fficers; Personal interest;

Procedure for appointing; Reporting arrangements; How often? Notice period; Decision making; Quorum; Issuing minutes; Financial monitoring and reporting arrangements w. parish council Procedure for making amendments

Terms of Reference 1. Purpose 2. Membership 3. Meetings 4. Working Groups 5. Finance 6. Changing the T-o-R

Insert Title Here Steering group structure - example

Working Groups Parish Council Steering Group

Communications team

1 2 3 4

Insert Title Here Skills audit

• Doing a skills audit can be a really useful first step for the steering group.
• Can help to identify the existing skills, knowledge and experience within

the group.

• Once done, you can try to match these to what’s required in producing

the community-led plan.

• If there are any gaps, then this helps the group identify where it may

need external assistance and advice.

• Necessary skills can be split into following categories:
• Project management & team building
• Community engagement
• Developing content

Insert Title Here Project planning

• What skills do individuals have within the steering group?
• What activities will need to be carried out in the development of the CLP

(e.g. meetings, publicity, surveys, events, developing evidence, drafting)?

• What activities can the steering group do itself?
• Where might professional external support be needed?
• What funding will be required to carry out all of these activities (and

secure external support, if necessary)?

• How much time should be set aside to accomplish each milestone?

Evaluation

Future workshops

Workshop Timetable

1 Introduction to community-led planning Jun-18 2 Choosing the right community-led plan Jul-18 3 Evidence gathering Sep-18 4 Engaging the community Oct-18 5 Influencing design Nov-18 6 Assessing and providing for housing need Dec-18 7 Assessing and allocating sites Jan-19 8 Writing and interpreting planning policies Feb-19 9 Developing and using your plan Mar-19

Thank you for coming!