Neighbourhood planning

The Localism Act creates opportunities for local communities to draw up their own Neighbourhood Plans. These will set out how local people want their areas to develop in the future and become part of their local authority’s planning policy.  Planning committees will have to follow these plans in making decisions about planning applications in those neighbourhoods. 

This presents an opportunity and a headache for community activists.  What should a neighbourhood plan look like?  What should it cover?  How do we go about producing one? 

Expert help is at hand.   MADE can provide help with neighbourhood planning. We make sure local people have a real say over the design on their own neighbourhoods by setting up design teams where residents work alongside architects as equal partners on new capital schemes.

Design Council CABE is supporting us to work in the Charterhouse area of Coventry to turn a Grade 1 listed building into a community asset, and the Skills Funding Agency is supporting us to run workshops for residents to recognise What makes a good place and to give them the confidence, skills and language to influence the design of their local neighbourhoods.

We set up teams of young people, artists and architects to design and fabricate new youth spaces for a Home Office funded project. Our award-winning work with residents on the Tibbington Estate has led to new techniques for engaging people in masterplanning in Sandwell. And as part of the Sense of Place consortium, north Birmingham residents are influencing the development of the Soho and Dudley Road corridors. Click here for more projects and case studies

If you think you might want to draw up a Neighbourhood Plan for your community, or you are unsure and want to find out more, register your interest with MADE and we will keep you in touch and tell you about events in your area.