Introducing the Neighbourhood Plan

Page published January 2018.

  • What is a Neighbourhood Plan and why do we need one when we already have a Village Plan, agreed in October 2014?

The Reydon Village Plan is a Community Plan and covers all aspects of village life: housing, education, leisure, the environment, health, faith etc. It was developed by a village committee and has shaped a lot of what the Parish Council (and others) have done since – as can be seen in the progress chart on the Village website.

But a Community Plan does not allow local people to shape building development and planning decisions in our community. A Neighbourhood Plan, however, does just this and the Parish Council believes that the village now needs a Neighbourhood Plan.

  • What could a Neighbourhood plan do for the Village?

A Neighbourhood Plan will allow the community of Reydon to influence

  • the shape and nature of future building development in the village
  • the way the countryside around the village is protected
  • how the character of the village is maintained and improved
  • planning to ensure village can deal with issues such as flood risks

Once a Neighbourhood Plan is adopted, it becomes part of the statutory planning rules and it has to be considered in all planning and development decisions in the village. In addition, a Neighbourhood Plan allows the Parish Council to retain 25% of the Community Infrastructure Levy charged to developers instead of 15% allocated to parishes without a Neighbourhood Plan. This will give the Parish Council more funding to ensure that resources in the village are adequate to meet its needs.

  • What Is Required to Develop a Neighbourhood Plan for Reydon?

A Steering Group has been set up to work on the Reydon Neighbourhood Plan. This comprises three members of the Parish Council and six volunteers from the community. Consultation and engagement of the community are essential and there will be many opportunities for residents to help shape the Plan. It will take around two years to complete the work.

Support is available from Waveney District Council and the Parish Council has set aside funding to help with the costs, especially of publicity and consultation. Further funding is available from national sources and we will apply for this as needed. The draft Neighbourhood Plan will first be reviewed by an Inspector appointed by the National Planning Inspectorate and, if approved, will then be put to a referendum of the village residents. If 50% of those voting approve the plan, it is then adopted as part of the statutory planning framework for our village.

  • What will happen next?

During March, we will hold two drop in events for the community. Please join us for half an hour or so to give us your views at one of them:

  • Monday 12 March, 6-8pm at the Village Hall
  • Saturday 17 March 3.30-5pm at the Randolph Hotel

These events will help us to decide on the key issues which we should tackle in the Neighbourhood Plan. The Steering Group has suggested six key issues:

  • Housing for Local People
  • Protecting the Countryside Around the Village
  • Protecting Green Spaces and Community Assets
  • Flood Risks and Erosion
  • Infrastructure Needs such as Sewage, Drainage, Roads and Parking
  • Design Principles for Future Development

We want to know if the community thinks these are the right issues and what we should aim for in each one. So, please look out for the posters and publicity for the community events and come along and have your say!

                                Philip O’Hear, Chair of the Reydon Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group