Issue - meetings

The Council noted that neighbourhood plans were development plans produced by parish/town councils or neighbourhood forums. West Clandon Parish Council had produced the West Clandon Neighbourhood Plan (“the Plan”) covering the West Clandon Neighbourhood Area (West Clandon Parish).

To meet the requirements of The Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended) (“the Regulations”), the Council held a six-week consultation and arranged for an examination of the Plan. The Plan was then amended in line with the examiner’s recommendations and was the subject of a referendum of qualifying voters within the neighbourhood area on 17 March 2022. 

In response to the referendum question “Do you want Guildford Borough Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for the West Clandon Neighbourhood Area to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”, the majority of voters in the referendum voted ‘Yes’. The vote was 313 for and 20 against, with a turnout of 30.1%.

By virtue of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended) (“the Act”) and the Regulations, the Council must ‘make’ (adopt) the Plan as soon as reasonably practicable after the referendum is held and, in any event, not later than the last day of the period of 8 weeks from the day after the referendum. The Council did not need to make a neighbourhood plan if it considered that the making of it would be a breach, or would otherwise be incompatible with, any retained EU obligations (as incorporated into UK law) or human rights obligations.  Officers were of the view that making the Plan would not breach these obligations. The Council must therefore decide whether or not to make the Plan.

As a result of amendments to The Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2017, neighbourhood plans now formed part of the statutory Development Plan and carried full weight in planning decisions as soon as they were approved at a referendum, rather than when they are made by the Council at the final stage of the process. Applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the Development Plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Upon the motion of the Leader of the Council, Councillor Joss Bigmore, seconded by the Lead Councillor for Resources, Councillor Tim Anderson, the Council

RESOLVED: To ‘make’ (adopt) the West Clandon Neighbourhood Plan.

Reason:

To meet the requirements of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended) and The Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended).