Neighbourhood Planning Frequently Asked Questions

Community involvement is a very important part of the plan preparation. There is a requirement to consult the wider community (including statutory bodies) at various stages in the plan preparation process to allow people to comment on the plan. When the draft plan is submitted to the Council it will have to be checked to ensure that it is generally in line with local and national planning policies and any other relevant legislation and has followed the correct procedures. Following a second round of consultation organised by the Council, an independent examiner is then appointed to check that the Plan meets the basic conditions.

The final decision as to whether the plan is the right one or not lies with the people who live in the area covered by the neighbourhood plan. A referendum will be held asking one question with a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer:

“Do you want Colchester Borough Council to use the neighbourhood plan for [insert name of neighbourhood area] to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

For the plan to be adopted by the Council more than 50% of the people who vote must answer ‘Yes’ to the above question. If it is less than 50% then it cannot be adopted.