Step 5: Draft

Using the community evidence you have gathered, and your knowledge of what is and isn’t possible from a Neighbourhood Plan (NP) you can begin to write the planning policies that will constitute your NP. 

Birmingham Local Plan

To be successful at the examination stage, your draft NP must be in general conformity with strategic planning policies in Birmingham.

A planning officer from Birmingham City Council’s Planning department will support you with this. They will not write your policies or influence your ideas: you and your community are in control of what goes into your NP.

Creating an NP is resource-heavy and tricky work. You’re never on your own, though, and you don’t need a planning background to make it happen. Take a look at the advice and guidance page to learn about support available from Birmingham City Council’s Neighbourhood Development and Support Unit (NDSU) and Planning department, Locality and Birmingham Community Matters.

NDSU can tell you whether any funding is available to help you bring in an independent planning consultant to help turn your ideas into planning policies.

Locality also has guidance to help you with writing policies for your NP.