Neighbourhood Planning and Infrastructure
A significant benefit of neighbourhood plans is the ability to identify infrastructure priorities. After a neighbourhood plan is ‘made’, it can help direct funding towards new or improved infrastructure in the plan area. A neighbourhood plan can outline future proposals for new infrastructure, including open spaces, transport connections, schools, health facilities, and other community infrastructure.
Identifying Infrastructure in your Neighbourhood Plan
In neighbourhood areas with proposed growth, neighbourhood plan groups would greatly benefit from preparing an infrastructure plan setting out the types of infrastructure needed to support the proposed level of growth. This plan can be developed during the drafting and early engagement stage and helps in formulating a spending plan in areas where the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is in place. It can also support the town or parish council in making a case for S.106 developer contributions.
Community engagement and stakeholder involvement are key steps for identifying infrastructure that is required to support growth alongside consideration of the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) which sets out strategic infrastructure requirements resulting from growth across the wider local authority area. Neighbourhood plan groups can meet with developers, infrastructure providers, and landowners in the neighbourhood area, as well as key public agencies and service providers to inform this process. This will assist in identifying local infrastructure needs, gaps in funding and match funding opportunities, to ensure a coordinated approach to infrastructure delivery.
Community Infrastructure Charging Schedule
In neighbourhood areas with an adopted CIL Charging Schedule and a ‘made’ Neighbourhood Plan, communities will benefit twice yearly from 25% of the revenues from CIL raised within the neighbourhood area. The funding goes towards the provision, improvement, replacement, operation, or maintenance of infrastructure in the area, and can be used towards infrastructure identified in the Neighbourhood Plan. Neighbourhoods must spend the CIL received within 5 years of receipt and must also publish a monitoring report annually.
Areas without a parish or town council can still benefit from CIL. The CIL Charging Authority will retain levy receipts and will develop a process for working with communities where development has taken place. There are a number of different approaches taken across the country for neighbourhood CIL in non-parished areas. We discuss NCIL in unparished areas in our next blog.
Shape the future of local infrastructure
Neighbourhood planning plays a crucial role in shaping the future of local infrastructure. By clearly identifying infrastructure needs and leveraging funding mechanisms such as the Community Infrastructure Levy, communities can ensure that necessary improvements infrastructure are prioritised and infrastructure to support new development is realised. Through active community and stakeholder engagement, neighbourhood plans can identify key infrastructure improvements and new infrastructure provision.
How we can help
DAC Planning provides specialist neighbourhood planning support for local communities and on behalf of local authorities. We can provide support in preparing infrastructure plans and advise on CIL monitoring and templates. DAC Planning also support local authorities in producing and implementing the Community Infrastructure Levy.
For a discussion on how we can assist you, please get in touch with the team:
admin@dacplanning.com / 01206 259281
This information is for general informative purposes only. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, DAC Planning accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from its use.
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