The Government has laid before Parliament draft regulations for how neighbourhood planning referendums should work, including the wording of questions.
Referendums must be held on a neighbourhood development plan, a neighbourhood development order or a community right to build order.
The draft regulations say that the “referendum must be held after the plan or order has been independently examined and approved by the local planning authority (with or without modifications)”.
Under the draft regulations, prescribed words are provided for the questions that must be asked in a neighbourhood planning referendum. There are three questions depending on whether the referendum relates to a development plan, a development order or a community right to build order.
Before a referendum is held, the local planning authority responsible for the referendum must publish a “detailed notice” of the referendum for at least 28 working days before the referendum is held.
This is “to ensure people living in the local authority’s area are aware that a referendum is due to be held, the subject matter of that referendum and that they are informed of key information relating to the referendum”, the explanatory memorandum says. A referendum can be held at the same time as elections under the regulations.
In a separate but related development, a group in Birmingham has become the first in the country to be designated formally as a neighbourhood forum. The group – in Balsall Heath – will be statutorily responsible for producing a neighbourhood plan.
Balsall Heath was named one of 20 frontrunners to trial neighbourhood planning by Communities Minister Greg Clark in April 2011. A plan will be drawn up in the coming weeks, with a referendum held later this year.
Access the draft regulations at: LINK
Search Planning Portal: LINK
