Decision details

The draft Neighbourhood Planning Protocol sets out the arrangements to enable Bath & North East Somerset to respond to its new planning duties and the opportunities for local communities arising from the Localism Bill

(1) To AGREE the "My Neighbourhood: A Neighbourhood Planning Protocol for B&NES" for public consultation;

(2) To DELEGATE responsibility to the Divisional Director of Planning & Transport, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing, to make graphic and minor textual amendments prior to publication of the NPP for public consultation, and

(3) To ASK that the protocol for neighbourhood planning be kept under review so that opportunities to link this process with other community engagement are fully considered.

The Council needs to be ready to implement the new duties on enactment of the Localism Bill.

The Council is not obliged to prepare a NPP and instead can respond to request on an ad hoc, piecemeal basis. This option has been rejected because this would lead to considerable confusion and lack of clarity for local communities and lack of co-ordination within the Council.

The Council could pursue a more pro-active approach to designating forums in Bath such as using Wards, PACT areas, post code sectors or follow the Bristol Neighbourhood Partnership approach.  This would be more time–consuming, costly and may pre-empt local aspirations contrary to the spirit of the Localism Act.