Press release
19 December 2011
For immediate release
Rural communities welcome
neighbourhood planning
Giving parish and and town councils and local people more say on planning proposals in their area will be good for rural communities, suggests a survey.
Almost three-quarters (71%) of respondents said communities would benefit from proposals to introduce statutory neighbourhood planning.
The study[1] was carried out on behalf of the Rural Services Network[2] by Brian Wilson, of research consultants Brian Wilson Associates [3].
While respondents from all groups questioned were broadly positive, responses from larger rural communities were most likely to be so.
Two-thirds of respondents thought it would be important for their area to prepare a neighbourhood plan in future.
Yet even more saw it as important for their area to engage in traditional ways with the planning system – commenting on the principal authority's draft Local Plan and on individual planning applications.
Rural Services Network chief executive Graham Biggs MBE said: "Communities responding to the survey felt neighbourhood planning would give local people more opportunity to have a say in planning matters."
Mr Biggs added: "In turn, they felt this would give them more say in the way their area developed. Many felt there was less chance developments would – as they saw it – be imposed on them."
There were a variety of dislikes with the neighbourhood planning proposals, but those most often mentioned were the expected cost and workload.
This was a particular concern for smaller local (parish) councils.
Another common theme came from those respondents who said they didn't believe anything much would change or that power really would devolve.
Designating valued local green space for protection was the thing most respondents would like to do (87%).
However, most of those wanting to protect green space also wanted to plan for some development. Over two-thirds also wanted to lay down design criteria for future development and designate sites for affordable housing.
Designating sites for employment use and community facilities was more popular with larger rural communities.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Media contact:
Graham Biggs
E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
T: 01588 674 922
M: 07966 790197
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1) The survey was conducted among rural communities who are in membership of the Rural Services Network. There were 371 survey responses, most of which came from local (parish and town) councils. A summary of the findings can be downloaded here.
2) The Rural Services Network is a group of more than 200 organisations working together to improve the delivery of rural services across England. The two operating arms of the network are the Sparsity Partnership for Authorities Delivering Rural Services (SPARSE) and the Rural Services Partnership. Further information and a full list of members are available at http://www.rsnonline.org.uk
2) Brian Wilson Associates offers high quality research, evaluation and advice, to organisations that make, shape and deliver policies. Services include policy reviews, strategy and plan development, good practice and guidance, and other research. Further information is available at http://brianwilsonassociates.co.uk
4) The Rural Services Network seeks to establish best practice across the spectrum of rural service provision. The network has representation across the complete range of rural services, including local authorities, public bodies, businesses, charities and voluntary groups. We are devoted to safeguarding and improving services in rural communities across England. We are the only national network specifically focusing on this vital aspect of rural life.
5) The Rural Services Network exists to ensure services delivered to the communities of predominantly rural England are as strong and as effective as possible. The term 'predominately rural' refers to counties and Local Authority districts with at least 50 percent of their population living in rural settlements (ie. rural towns, villages, hamlets and dispersed dwellings) as identified in the Office for National Statistics' rural definition, and including larger market towns as identified in the Defra classification of local authority districts. The rural definition and classification were devised by the Rural Evidence Research Centre (RERC) at Birkbeck College. Further information on these can be found at http://www.rerc.ac.uk