Clifton Neighbourhood Plan
The Neighbourhood Plan for Clifton 2024-2030
What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
Neighbourhood planning was introduced by the Government under the Localism Act of 2011. It's an important and powerful tool that gives communities such as Clifton statutory powers to help with their development.
It's a document that sets out planning policies for the area and these planning policies are used to help decide whether in the future along with Westmorland and Furness Council as our Local Planning Authority developments are approved (or not).
It's a document that's written by the local community, the people who know and love the area, rather than the Local Planning Authority. It's a powerful tool to help ensure that our community gets the right types of development, in the right place.
A Neighbourhood Plan is a positive planning tool that can add to (but not contradict) other stautory planning policies (e.g. the Local Plan for the Eden Area, and the National Planning Policy Framework).
Neighbourhood Plan Stage 1- Designation of Neighbourhood Area.
The first stage in developing a neighbourhood plan is to designate the 'neighbourhood area' that it will cover. A Neighbourhood Area application was made to Eden District Council by Clifton Community Council on 15th February 2023. After a six-week consultation period the new Westmorland and Furness Council designated the Clifton Neighbourhood Area on 18th May 2023. Clifton Community Council now have the right to produce with the community, Clifton's own Neighbourhood Plan and Neighbourhood Development Orders.
View the application, together with a map showing the Neighbourhood Area (PDF: 279Kb / 3 pages).
View the Formal Notice of Application for designation of the Parish of Clifton Community Council as a Neighbourhood Area (PDF: 199 Kb/1 page).
View the Decision Notice of Application for designation of the Parish of Clifton Community Council as a neighbourhood area (PDF: 309 Kb/ 2 pages).
How we creat our Neighbourhood Plan as a community?
The whole point of a Neighbourhood Plan is that it is community led included residents, businesses, community groups, schools and churches to find out what's important to us where we live, what we'd like to improve, and what our vision is for the local area.
An essential part of the process was also the need to gather evidence to back up the ideas that the community wants to see. Using this feedback and evidence, we will secure grant funding to engage a specialist for technical support and to provide professional advice to help write the planning policies that will make our community's vision a reality.
The Clifton Neighbourhood Plan creates a framework for considering a range of issues including:
The development of housing, and provision for businesses to set up or expand their premises, transport and movement, including issues around roads, traffic management, car parking, public transport access, cycling, and walking.
The development of schools, health facilities, leisure and entertainment facilities, and other meeting places for the community to use. The enhancement of our environment and streetscene, including the design of buildings and ways in which we can take pride in the appearance of our community.
Tourism and the heritage of our community, including the protection of important buildings, archaeological sites and other historic assets. The protection and creation of open space, sports pitches, play areas, trees, parkland and gardens.
The following short video by Locality explains what Neighbourhood Planning is in more detail
Neighbourhood Plan Stages
