Once your Neighbourhood Plan (NP) has been brought into force

Once your NP becomes a legal document, it’s important not to leave it dormant.

The Neighbourhood Development and Support Unit (NDSU) and Planning department at Birmingham City Council will meet with you regularly to review your NP and how it is working in your Neighbourhood Area. This is a great chance to talk about your proposals and projects, and explore possible regeneration funding opportunities to make them happen.

Keeping your NP current means responding to planning applications for new development in your Neighbourhood Area. You should aim to:

  • Show where and when you don't think the proposals align with your policies

  • Check that your NP policies are being referenced and used in planning decisions. 

Locality has a guide called ‘How to implement, monitor and review your made Neighbourhood Plan’, which you may find useful. 

NDSU will help you update your NP when the time comes, too.

Responding to planning applications

When responding to planning applications, it’s important to be constructive and considered - otherwise your responses may not have the right impact.

For guidance, see:

‘How to respond to planning applications: an 8-step guide’ - Campaign to Protect Rural England 

‘How do I comment on a planning application?’ - Planning Aid

Planning Aid may also offer support to help you write your responses.

NDSU is always here to help you too.

What if our Neighbourhood Planning Forum disbands?

An NP is a long-term legal document. It is possible that an NP could outlast the existence of the group that created it. People move away from their neighbourhoods or their priorities change - and that’s okay. Once again, NDSU is here to help you ensure your NP stays up to date.

We have a good example of this in Balsall Heath. While the group that brought Balsall Heath’s Neighbourhood Plan into force in 2015 has disbanded, local resident Joe Holyoak remains the representative of the NP. He continues to meet with NDSU and BCC’s Planning team to discuss how the NP can stay relevant and continue serving the local area.