Audley Rural Parish Council resolved in November 2020 to designate the Parish of Audley as a Neighbourhood Plan (NP) area.  Please click here to view the Audley NP Area Designation Map

What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

Neighbourhood planning was introduced in the Localism Act 2011 (click here to view). It is an important and powerful tool that gives communities statutory powers to shape how their communities develop.  A neighbourhood plan is a community led document which puts in place planning policy for a neighbourhood area to guide future development. A neighbourhood plan is about the use and development of land and may contain a vision, aims, planning policies, proposals for improving the area or providing new facilities, or allocation of key sites for specific kinds of development. It may deal with a wide range of social, economic and environmental issues (such as housing, employment, design, heritage and transport) or it may focus on one or two issues only.

Click here to visit https://neighbourhoodplanning.org for further information  

More information can also be obtained by visiting the Locality website by clicking on the picture further down the page.

Next steps (as at 21st January 2021)

The preparation of a Neighbourhood Plan will need to involve the community and is expected to take a couple of years before it can reach the stage where it can be adopted by Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council.

Over the next month or so a Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (of approx 10 people) will be formulated and its Terms of Reference will agreed by the Parish Council.  The Steering Group will represent the whole Parish and will steer the production of a Neighbourhood Plan, working with an external Consultant.  The Steering Group will consist of a mix of skills, abilities and experience.  The Steering Group’s purpose is to oversee the production of a Neighbourhood Plan in order that this will then progress to Independent Examination, and following a successful community referendum, be adopted by Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council to become planning policy.

The activities may include:

liaising with the local planning authority;
publicity, community and stakeholder engagement and consultation at various stages;
building the evidence base;
setting aims and writing the plan;
site allocations and Local Green Space designations;
pre-submission consultation (Regulation 14);
other activities

The Steering Group will have a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer, who will be elected by members of the Steering Group at its first meeting. In addition, the Steering Group will need skills in all areas ranging from planning, community consultation, local issues and publicity.  Some Steering Group members will act as a link with the individual Focus Groups which may be set up to look at aspects in greater detail.

One of the first tasks will be to consider the appointment of a Neighbourhood Plan consultant.

If you are interested in joining the Steering Group please send your details to the Parish Clerk before 31st March 2021 by emailing audleyparishcouncil@hotmail.co.uk 
You will be asked to provide information on your background, what part of the community of Audley Rural Parish you represent and what skills you can bring to the Steering Group.  

We would also like to identify key local stakeholders and any potential
partners. These are local organisations, groups and individuals that have a particular interest in the area.

If you would like to join the general mailing list to keep updated or as a key local stakeholder – please contact the Parish Clerk by emailing audleyparishcouncil@hotmail.co.uk