INTRODUCTION

Dormansland Neighbourhood Plan

The plan is being prepared in accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations of 2012 (as amended).

Dormansland Parish Council (DPC) is preparing a Neighbourhood Plan for the area designated by the local planning authority Tandridge District Council (TDC), under the provisions of the Localism Act 2011 and of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012. The area was designated on 28 May 2014.

The purpose of the Dormansland Neighbourhood Plan (DNP) will be to complement the planning policies of Tandridge District Council. Together, the policies will be used to determine planning applications in the neighbourhood area.

Neighbourhood Plans provide local communities with the chance to shape the future development of their areas. Once the referendum has taken place and assuming it is successful, Tandridge District Council will ‘make’ the plan, the neighbourhood plan then becomes a statutory part of the development plan for the area and will carry significant weight in how planning applications are decided. It is often referred to as a neighbourhood development plan.

Neighbourhood Plans can therefore only contain land use planning policies that can be used for this purpose. This often means that there are more important issues of interest to the local community that cannot be addressed in a Neighbourhood Plan if they are not directly relating to planning. Reference to the issues raised by the community through engagement and consultation can be listed as aspirations for the community to take forward through alternative routes, for example by the Parish Council.

Although there is considerable scope for the local community to decide on its planning policies, Neighbourhood Plans must meet some ‘basic conditions’. These are:

• having regard to national policies and advice contained in guidance issued by the Secretary of State, it is appropriate to make the neighbourhood development plan,
• the making of the neighbourhood development plan contributes to the achievement of sustainable development,
• the making of the neighbourhood development plan is in general conformity with the strategic policies contained in the development plan for the area of the authority (or any part of that area),
• the making of the neighbourhood development plan does not breach, and is otherwise compatible with, retained EU obligations.

In addition, DPC must be able to show that it has properly consulted local people and other relevant organisations during the process of making its Neighbourhood Plan and has followed the 2012 Neighbourhood Planning Regulations.

Strategic Environmental Assessment & Habitats Regulations Assessment

Tandridge District Council has issued a screening opinion on the requirement for a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in accordance with the Environmental Assessment of Plans & Programmes Regulations 2004 (as amended). The formal screening opinion considers that the plan does not require an SEA.

The screening opinion also confirms whether a Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) is required in accordance with the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (as amended). The formal screening opinion considers that the plan does not need to be supported by an HRA.

The Next Steps

Once the pre-submission consultation exercise is complete, the Parish Council will review the comments made and prepare a final version of the Plan, known as the ‘Submission Plan or Regulation 15 Plan’, a final SEA Report, a Statement of Community Consultation and a Basic Conditions Statement which will include an assessment of how the plan “contributes to the achievement of sustainable development”, one of the ‘basic conditions’ and therefore a requirement of the DNP.

These will be submitted to Tandridge District Council for a final round of consultation followed by independent examination and then referendum.