About

Neighbourhood Development Plans (NDP)

While Local Plans lay out a vision of future development for a whole area, the needs of individual towns and villages within that area can vary. Neighbourhood Development Plans are optional documents that detail further development priorities for individual communities. They are community-led and can be written by town or parish councils. In this parish the development plan is being developed by residents on behalf of the parish council.

The NDP does not include strategic issues such as major development, but guides local issues such as land use and planning issues such as the protection of green spaces and sites that are appropriate for housing development.

NDPs have to conform with ‘the strategic priorities’ of the relevant local plan, but in planning decisions, if there is a conflict between a NDP policy and a non-strategic local policy, the NDP will take precedence. ‘Strategic priorities’ are defined in the National Planning Policy Framework. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-planning-policy-framework