In May 2016 Rudby Parish Council made an application to Hambleton District Council to designate the combined parishes of Hutton Rudby, Middleton on Leven, Rudby and Skutterskelfe as a Neighbourhood Area.
This first step in enabling our community to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan was approved by Hambleton District Council on 6th September 2016.
With a Neighbourhood Plan, our community has greater control over development in our parish. It will give us a say in where new development goes, what sort of development if should be, and what it should look like.
We can use a Neighbourhood Plan to create a vision for our area, establishing general planning policies for the development and use of land. This could be where new homes should be built, what types of materials should be used, where public open space or green space should be designated, and how it will be maintained.
A Neighbourhood Plan is prepared by the community for the community through a process of consultation, evidence gathering, and policy development. The final step is a referendum where the community decides whether to approve the Neighbourhood Plan.
Neighbourhood Planning was introduced by the 2011 Localism Act, and improvements to the process are being proposed in the Neighbourhood Planning Bill which is progressing through parliament.
More information about Neighbourhood Planning can be found here.