Neighbourhood Forums are organisations that need to be established in order for communities to access certain powers such as establishing a neighbourhood planning area or writing a Neighbourhood Plan/Development Order.
In Plymouth there are currently two Neighbourhood Forums:
To become a Neighbourhood Forum a local community needs to meet certain legal requirements including:
- Involving at least 21 people;
- Ensuring the membership is representative of the local community;
- Ensuring membership is open to all those who live, work and carry out business within the area;
- Having a written constitution; and,
- Setting itself up for the express purpose of promoting or improving the environmental, economic and social wellbeing of the area
One of the first things a Neighbourhood Forum can do is establish a neighbourhood planning area, in Plymouth this application is usually submitted at the same time as the application to become a Neighbourhood Forum.
How to get started
If you or a local group wishes to engage with neighbourhood planning in Plymouth, we encourage them in the first instance to contact us at planningpolicy@plymouth.gov.uk or by calling 01752 305477.
Other support
There's a lot of guidance available to groups wishing to engage with neighbourhood planning which we encourage everyone who wishes to get involved with neighbourhood planning to read. The guidance on the Locality website is particularly useful and includes information and resources on how to get started as well as details of funding which is available for community groups