Glapthorn Neighbourhood Plan

What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

Neighbourhood Plans (NPs) are a new type of planning policy document whose preparation is led by Parish Councils (and other relevant bodies) to guide new development within a defined area such as a parish, alongside local authority (East Northamptonshire Council; which became North Northamptonshire Council in April 2021) and national planning policy documents. Glapthorn Parish Council decided to prepare a NP for this area and commenced work on it 2016.

The Completed Neighbourhood Plan

The Neighbourhood Plan was endorsed at referendum and subsequently adopted ("Made") by East Northamptonshire Council in July 2018. It will guide the scale, location and nature of development in the Parish for the next 10 to 15 years. As the Independent Examiner stated clearly in his report "where a planning application conflicts with a neighbourhood plan that has been brought into force (i.e. after a majority yes vote in the Referendum), planning permission should not normally be granted".

Referendum

The Glapthorn Neighbourhood Plan Referendum was held on Thursday, 5th July 2018 and was managed by East Northamptonshire Council, similar to any Local or National Election. The question posed at the Referendum was:

"Do you want East Northamptonshire District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Glapthorn to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?"

Result

88% of votes cast were in favour of Yes

12% of votes cast were in favour of No

There were no spoilt papers and the turnout was 61%

East Northamptonshire Council adopted ("Made") the Glapthorn Neighbourhood Plan at that Council's Planning Policy Committee meeting on 30th July 2018.

Policy Maps

As a Development Plan for Planning purposes, the Neighbourhood Plan is required to show the key spatial policies in map form. This is included within the main document, but for ease of access, two versions are available below;

Glapthorn NP and ENC's Local Plan Policies

ENC received a report on 30^th July 2018 on the Glapthorn referendum results and resolved to adopt ("Make") the Glapthorn Neighbourhood Plan as part of the statutory development plan for East Northamptonshire (in accordance with the Localism Act and Neighbourhood Planning Regulations).

That report also considered and documented the extant Local Plan policies that will be superseded by the Glapthorn Neighbourhood Plan (within the Parish). These are detailed in:

Information Leaflets

The Neighbourhood Planning Group on behalf of the Parish Council produced and distributed to households, two leaflets explaining the outcome of the Independent Examination and providing a summary of the Referendum Version of the Plan:

• April 2018 – The Independent Examiner's report and modifications
• May 2018 - A Summary of the Plan Policies

Monitoring the Neighbourhood Plan

The Neighbourhood Plan provides that the Parish Council will monitor the Plan by "considering conformity to Plan policies of all relevant planning applications, and as a statutory consultee make representations as necessary to the development control authority (North Northamptonshire Council), receive annual reports on the implementation of the Plan and consider what actions if any are required." The Plan states that " It is expected that a thorough review of the GNP will be appropriate mid-way through the Plan period."

The first such monitoring report has been considered and adopted by the Parish Council. Annual reports will be prepared and be available each year for the Annual Parish Meeting normally held in April.