Neighbourhood Plan

Background

Leicester Forest East Parish Council applied for the Parish of Leicester Forest East, in its entirety, to be designated as a Neighbourhood Area, with a view to producing a Neighbourhood Plan. Following a statutory six-week consultation the Neighbourhood Area designation application was approved in May 2016.

What is a Neighbourhood Plan?

A Neighbourhood Plan is a local level plan, produced by the local community rather than the District Council. It sets out policies in relation to the development and use of land in the whole or any part of the particular neighbourhood area specified in the plan. Once a Neighbourhood Plan is made (adopted by the District Council), it becomes part of the statutory development plan for the District alongside the Local Plan. Every planning decision-maker must therefore have regard to it in the same manner as the Local Plan.

Who has prepared it?

The Plan has been prepared by the Leicester Forest East Neighbourhood Plan Advisory Committee. This Advisory Committee comprises members of the local community and local Parish Councillors, with the support of Blaby District Council and consultants Yourlocale, and under the direction of Leicester Forest East Parish Council (the Qualifying Body for the Plan).

Current Stage

After a significant amount of consultation and preparation, the Parish Council have submitted its Neighbourhood Plan and other prescribed documents to Blaby District Council to undertake a formal consultation under Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended).

A formal consultation is taking place between Tuesday 27^th July and Tuesday 14^th September 2021. The consultation is being run by Blaby District Council and all responses must be sent to Blaby District Council and not the Parish Council. The following documents are being consulted on:

• Leicester Forest East Neighbourhood Plan Submission Version
• Appendix A Leicester Forest East Application for Neighbourhood Designation
• Appendix B Theme Group Role
• Appendix C Leicester Forest East Community Consultation 2016 Summary
• Appendix Di Leicester Forest East Flier Front
• Appendix Dii Leicester Forest East Flier Back
• Appendix E Leicester Forest East Community Consultation 2017 Analysis
• Appendix F Leicester Forest East Neighbourhood Plan Regulation 14 Consultation Responses
• Leicester Forest East Neighbourhood Plan Basic Conditions Statement
• Leicester Forest East Neighbourhood Plan Consultation Statement

The consultation documents are available to view on the Leicester Forest East Parish Council website. A reference copy of the consultation documents is available to view during opening hours at Leicester Forest East Community Library, 76 Rushmere Walk, Leicester Forest East, Leicester, LE3 3PD, tel: 0116 233 6273.

Representations can be made on the plan in writing to Development Strategy Team, Blaby District Council, Council Offices, Desford Road, Narborough, Leicestershire, LE19 2EP or via email to planning.policy@blaby.gov.uk. Comments must be received no later than the end of the day on Tuesday 14th September 2021. Blaby District Council will determine whether the Neighbourhood Plan should be made (and therefore become part of the Development Plan) following the Examination and Public Referendum in due course. If you wish to be notified of this decision then please state this in your representation.

What does the Neighbourhood Plan contain?

The Neighbourhood Plan contains a range of policies that seek to deliver a vision for the Parish. The policies cover a range of topics:

• Housing
• Natural and historical environment
• Community facilities and amenities
• Employment
• Transport

For more detail, please read the Neighbourhood Plan.

Previous consultation

Several consultations have taken place, each building on the evidence of the last.

An initial community consultation event took place in the Parish on 10 September 2016, which was advertised by a leaflet delivered to each household in the Parish. A comprehensive Community Questionnaire was then delivered to every household in April 2017. The survey took place in May 2017 and it was available to complete electronically and as a paper copy.

The next consultation stage was the 'Regulation 14' consultation, which took place from 12 October to 23 November 2018. Comments from respondents to the Regulation 14 Consultation have helped to shape the draft Neighbourhood Plan prior to submission to Blaby District Council.

Background documents