Neighbourhood planning is a way local people can shape development of the communities in which they live.
The Localism Act 2011 reformed the planning system and introduced a new tier of statutory plans to be prepared at the neighbourhood level by parish councils or town councils (where they exist) or in other areas, community members acting together as a neighbourhood forum.
View the Government's 'plain English' guide to the Localism Act (PDF) for more information.
It is important that you talk to us if you are thinking of preparing a Neighbourhood Development Plan, as they form a legal part of planning policy and must follow a formal process.
View the Council's Neighbourhood Plans Guidance (PDF) or read our Neighbourhood planning frequently asked questions.
Consultations on neighbourhood plans
There are no current consultations.
Neighbourhood Area designations
The first stage in the neighbourhood planning process is the designation of a Neighbourhood Area. The proposed Neighbourhood Area will need to be formally approved by Bedford Borough Council.
Formal consultation will take place and any representations received will be considered before a final decision is made.
There are currently no neighbourhood area designations under consultation.
To submit an application for a Neighbourhood Area, please contact planningpolicy@bedford.gov.uk.
The Neighbourhood Areas that have been designated are shown on the map of Neighbourhood Areas (PDF)
Neighbourhood plans under preparation
Following the designation of a Neighbourhood Area, the Qualifying Body (in most cases this is the Parish Council) can prepare their Neighbourhood Development Plan.
Click on each name in the table to go to the relevant website.
|
Name |
Neighbourhood Area designation |
Pre-submission consultation |
Submission consultation |
Examination |
Referendum |
Date made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
8 September 2016 |
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|
1 July 2013 |
15 September - 31 October 2018 |
27 November - 19 January 2020 | 22 January 2020 to 11 March 2020 | 6 May 2021 | 9 June 2021 | |
|
18 August 2014 |
25 February – 8 April 2019 |
27 January 2020 - 9 March 2020 | 18 March 2020 - 5 June 2020 | 6 May 2021 | 9 June 2021 | |
|
8 June 2016 |
||||||
|
17 March 2016 |
25 May – 6 July 2018 |
12 August - 15 October 2019 |
30 January 2020 | 4 March 2020 | ||
|
11 July 2013 |
7 June - 20 July 2019 1 February to 14 March 2021 |
8 October - 21 November 2021 | 8 December 2021 - 9 March 2022 | 9 June 2022 | 4 July 2022 | |
|
20 February 2015 |
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|
30 July 2015 |
||||||
|
21 August 2019 |
||||||
|
30 July 2015 |
||||||
|
3 November 2015 |
18 January to 28 February 2021 | 13 October - 25 November 2021 | 8 December 2021 - 18 March 2022 | 23 June 2022 | 4 July 2022 | |
|
23 April 2015 |
14 December 2020 - 1 February 2021 | 1 April - 16 May | 25 May 2021 - 24 September 2021 | 16 December 2021 | 19 January 2022 | |
|
7 January 2014 |
||||||
|
26 July 2016 |
18 September - 30 October 2020 | 1 March - 6 May 2021 | 17 May - 1 September 2021 | 18 November 2021 | 5 January 2022 | |
|
1 July 2013 |
1 November – 13 December 2020 | 26 February - 11 April 2021 | 30 April 2021 - 28 July 2021 | 4 November 2021 | 24 November 2021 | |
|
14 November 2013 |
19 September – 31 October 2018 |
15 August - 12 November 2019 |
27 February 2020 | 23 March 2020 | ||
|
6 September 2019 |
7 September - 22 October 2021 |
21 March 2022 - 11 May 2022 |
28 July 2022 | |||
|
20 June 2014 |
||||||
|
11 April 2017 |
||||||
|
23 October 2019 |
19 February - 4 April 2022 |
1 July - 14 August 2022 |
1 September 2022 |
|||
|
7 September 2020 |
||||||
|
14 March 2018 |
||||||
|
5 November 2014 |
||||||
|
27 September 2017 |
19 August - 23 October 2020 | 17 February - 26 April 2021 | From 10 May - 21 July 2021 | 21 October 2021 | 24 November 2021 | |
|
11 September 2015 |
||||||
|
7 September 2020 |
||||||
|
28 November 2013 |
23 April - 10 July 2019 9 December 2019 - 27 January 2020 |
10 July - 24 August 2020 | 26 August - 1 October 2020 | 6 May 2021 | 9 June 2021 | |
|
26 November 2013 |
||||||
|
1 July 2013 |
8 June - 20 July 2019 |
1 May - 15 June 2020 | 22 June - 7 August 2020 | 6 May 2021 | 9 June 2021 | |
|
19 April 2017 |
6 November 2019 - 19 January 2020 | 10 July - 24 August 2020 | 16 December 2020 - 22 April 2021 | 15 July 2021 | 1 September 2021 | |
|
14 November 2013 |
||||||
|
25 November 2015 |
23 October - 9 December 2019 | 31 March - 16 May 2021 | 25 May - 6 October 2021 | 20 January 2022 | 2 March 2022 | |
|
22 February 2017 |
1 April – 31 May 2021 | 2 March – 14 April 2022 | 4 May - 18 August 2022 | |||
|
9 June 2015 |
25 September - 6 November 2020 | 9 July - 23 August 2021 | 2 September - 9 November 2021 | 17 February 2022 | 2 March 2022 | |
|
12 November 2014 |
Council guidance
Bedford Borough Council has produced detailed guidance on how we will work with parish councils and neighbourhood forums undertaking neighbourhood planning.
- Download Neighbourhood Planning - what the Council will do (PDF)
We have a service level agreement (SLA) with Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC) to assist with neighbourhood planning. If you require advice please contact planningpolicy@bedford.gov.uk in the first instance.
In order to use maps produced by Bedford Borough Council in any publications, a public sector mapping agreement (PSMA) must be signed to allow sharing of maps that have been produced. Further information is available from Ordnance Survey.
We can't provide bespoke maps for the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Groups, but we can provide a Parish map. There are a number of private companies that can produce and print maps for your documents.
Further details the about use of Ordnance Survey based information is available in the OS mapping briefing note (PDF).
Guidance
- Neighbourhood Planning Roadmap Guide – Locality has produced a comprehensive guide to neighbourhood planning and the document is a useful introduction to the process.
- Funding – The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) have made funding available to provide support for preparing a Neighbourhood Plan and this is administered by Locality. For groups writing a neighbourhood plan or preparing a neighbourhood development order up to £8,000 will be available. A further £6,000 is available for more complex issues, however this is subject to meeting further criteria. Full details of how to apply. The cost of the examination and referendum will be met by Bedford Borough Council.
- Planning Aid has a lot of useful information on their website including guidance notes, case studies and videos. Their guidance notes are available here: neighbourhoodplanning.org/resources
- Locality has produced a guidance note for carrying out housing needs assessments for neighbourhood plans. Use the guide How to undertake a Housing Needs Assessment (HNA).
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government - Government advice and guidance on neighbourhood planning can be found on the Planning Portal website.
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government produces a bulletin on national progress in neighbourhood planning. Follow the link to view the bulletins.
- Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012
- Green Infrastructure Plans – Green infrastructure is an important part of development and to provide evidence in the Neighbourhood Plan, the qualifying body may choose to commission a Green Infrastructure Plan. Further details on what this will involve is outlined Green Infrastructure Plan briefing note (PDF).
- Historic Environment – the historic environment is one theme that a Neighbourhood Plan may cover. Further information is available in this briefing note produced by the Historic Environment Team at Bedford Borough.
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
The Community Infrastructure Levy was introduced in April 2013. If there is an adopted Neighbourhood Development Plan, or Neighbourhood Development Order, this will have implications for the amount of funding for local infrastructure priorities that is passed to the parish councils (or to be used by the council for local infrastructure priorities in unparished areas) from developments granted planning permission.
The amount of funding is currently 25% of the CIL received from developments. Further information is available here.
Infrastructure issues
Infrastructure should be considered as part of a Neighbourhood Plan, particularly when development sites are to be included as allocations. The qualifying body should consider what additional infrastructure may be needed to cater for future development and how this may be delivered. It would also be useful to consider what the likely impacts on proposed site allocations would be on the existing services. Contact should be made in at an early stage of the plan process with the infrastructure providers.
Contact details
For further information, please contact planningpolicy@bedford.gov.uk
