Introduction

The three parishes of Bamburgh, Beadnell and N Sunderland have decided to prepare a neighbourhood plan.

This area has faced significant development pressure in the past and will continue to do so in the future. It’s an area where people want to come to visit and to live.  Development isn’t a bad thing: people need houses – especially houses they can afford to live in. Businesses need people. We all need visitors. But the mix, the style, the location, the constraints are things that should be set locally. Hence a neighbourhood plan.

What is a neighbourhood plan?

The introduction of neighbourhood planning is part of wider changes to the planning system in the Localism Act 2011. The Act aims to shift decision making from central government to communities and councils. Neighbourhood planning allows parish councils to prepare a plan for their area, in close consultation with residents, businesses and other local organisations.

They will be able to:

• Define where they want new homes, shops and offices to be built
• Have their say on what those new buildings should look like
• Establish planning policies for the development and use of land

These statements and policies will be drawn together into a neighbourhood plan which will, after being checked and confirmed in a local referendum, become a legal document that is part of the planning framework.

The development of the plan will be supported by Northumberland County Council as the local planning authority.

What will happen?

The Neighbourhood Plan will be developed by the members of the three parishes – people who live here, work here, go to school here, shop here or have social connections. They know the community best and can help in identifying sites which would be suitable for housing, business or other forms of community-related development which will shape the long term future.

The Plan is important for everyone because, if a vote at a referendum is successful, it will be a legal document and decisions on planning applications will be required to be made in accordance with your Neighbourhood Plan.

How will we organise it?

A pre-meeting primarily of parish councillors took place in mid October to confirm the approach and to agree the formation of a small Steering Group. This will initially be drawn from the Parish Councils and the County Councillor and will lead the efforts and ensure that the correct procedural matters are followed by the community. The first task, apart from legal formalities, will be to organise a launch event early in 2014.

There will be opportunities now, and over the coming months for you to engage and contribute to the Plan so please get involved as this is an important opportunity for everyone to help shape your community.

 

If you have any comments or questions about the Neighbourhood Plan please send them to coastalnplan@gmail.com, or contact anyone on the parish councils or John Woodman, our County Councillor.

Background information

As background, you may like to look at:

-          The draft Allendale plan, Allendale being one of the pilots in Northumberland;

-          The web site of the Lyn and Lynton plan (now almost complete), a coastal area in Devon with similar issues to ourselves. In particular, they have dealt with affordable housing question.

-          A paper on early lessons learned

Pre Meeting

N Northumberland Coastal area: Neighbourhood plan meeting

9 October 2013

28 people, principally parish councillors from Bamburgh/Beadnell and N Sunderland, met to discuss the implications of developing a neighbourhood plan covering the three parishes.

After an introduction to the idea and to the detail of neighbourhood plans from John Woodman (County Councillor) and David English (Northumberland CC planning team), the group discussed the issues that should be covered and the process for launching and managing the plan. The group was divided into four groups but the conclusions were remarkably similar.

It was confirmed:

- We should develop a neighbourhood plan covering the three parishes. N Sunderland would be the lead parish. We should keep in close touch with the neighbouring parishes, particularly Belford as it moved to develop a similar plan, and Newton which had similar issues; the chairs of both parishes were at the meeting.

It was agreed:

- there should be a steering committee initially consisting of 2 people from each parish, with more people to be added with specific skills as the project developed. The steering committee would need to have delegated powers from the three parishes so it didn’t have to go back when decisions needed to be made; a model terms of reference was available from NCC. There would be plenty of scope to involve other groups, and more councillors, as specific tasks or areas of investigation were undertaken.

- the first task of the meeting (after agreeing terms of reference) should be to arrange a launch event. This would be a public meeting, probably at the Seahouses Sports and Social Centre, that would present the idea and seek to motivate interest. The plan needs to be developed from the bottom up through the community so there should be as big an involvement as possible.

- although the public meeting should be as soon as possible, it was equally important to get it right. A good time might be early January to give plenty of time to arrange while avoiding the holiday season.

- the views of the large estate owners (Bamburgh Castle; Lord Crewe Trust; Northumberland Estates) were important and they should be consulted.

- the existing parish plans should be used in  developing the neighbourhood plan.

- the phrase “Vital Villages” was coined during the discussion on the issues and summed up the vision for the area.

The key issues which should be dealt with by the plan were:

Housing;

A focus on affordable housing and housing for permanent residents.

A need for suitable accommodation for the elderly .

Encouraging development to be focused on encouraging the community coupled with a concern about too many second homes and limiting the development of large houses.

Identifying areas for development and areas which should be “green space”.

Business

The plan needs to encourage employment other than tourism – to encourage all year and better paid jobs. Ideas are:

- Establishing a business forum;

- Identifying locations for industrial/commercial units

- Balancing the needs of the tourist industry and holiday homes with permanent residents.

Infrastructure

Identifying infrastructure improvements needed:

- Better access from A1

- Broadband

Planning issues

The AONB plan and objectives should be considered.