Neighbourhood Plan

Involving the community is central to Localism and to neighbourhood planning and is key to the changes being brought in by the Government in planning future local housing and employment needs. Local communities are being encouraged to have more control and local people to have a say in what they want in their own community or parish. This includes   everyone, from young people and the elderly, to commuters, businesses, individuals and families. Councils need to involve their communities in the neighbourhood planning process in order to find out what their community thinks about more housing, employment opportunities, open spaces, and so on.

Boston Spa needs to develop its own Neighbourhood Plan to ensure that the local community and its residents are in control of the future of the village and to progress this vitally important task the Parish Council is establishing a Steering Group.

This group will take the lead on the production of a Neighbourhood Plan but it is very important that it reflects the wishes and aspirations of the whole village. For that reason it is vital that all community organisations, businesses and interested individuals have their say in what goes into it. If you can help in this work and would like to be part of the future of Boston Spa get in touch with our Clerk in the first instance and register your name and contact details. We will then be able to get in touch with you as the process gets under way.

Look out on this site and in the local press for more information.

WHAT MIGHT IT DO FOR BOSTON SPA 

The Boston Spa Neighbourhood Plan will help deliver the local community’s ambitions and needs for the plan period. It will provide a vehicle to guide, promote and enable desirable,
balanced and sustainable change and growth in the civil parish for the period 2012 to 2026 whilst providing appropriate protection to the area’s built and natural environments.

The Neighbourhood Plan will be a key component in the statutory planning system; its primary user groups will be:

  • the local community – to help understand the basis on which planning applications will be determined and help individuals & groups to make informed representations;
  • land and property owners, planning professionals and developers - to have clarity about the development needs of the community, the required quality of new development and, where appropriate, its location;
  • agencies and public bodies - to understand how best to focus investment and decision making to support the sustainable development of the town;
  • Leeds City Council officers - to help in the provision of advice to planning applicants and the assessment of planning applications and proposals;
  • Leeds City Council ward councillors - to help determine planning applications.

The document will probably comprise some or all of the following sections:

Introduction, purpose and document context (eg relationship with the Leeds City Council Core Strategy and Local development Framework documents) 

  • Community ambitions and needs
  • Portrait of the Community
    ·    Community, economy and environment
    ·    Character, capacity, capability
    ·     Restraints (eg landscape, heritage, public transport, habitats, recreation facilities)
  • Principles underpinning the Plan

Possible themes include

  • Creating a sustainable community
  • Meeting local housing needs
  • Creating a prosperous local economy
  • Protecting our local environment
  •  Improving community services