Neighbourhood planning gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area. They are able to choose where they want new homes, shops and offices to be built, have their say on what those new buildings should look like and what infrastructure should be provided, and grant planning permission for the new buildings they want to see go ahead. Neighbourhood planning provides a powerful set of tools for local people to plan for the types of development to meet their community’s needs and where the ambition of the neighbourhood is aligned with the strategic needs and priorities of the wider local area.
Neighbourhood planning will allow the wider Charlton community, made up of local residents, businesses and local councillors, to play a much stronger role in shaping the area in which they live and work and in supporting new development proposals. This is because, when adopted, a Neighbourhood Plan for Charlton will form part of the formal Development Plan for the area.
Decisions on planning applications in Charlton will be made using the Royal Greenwich Local Plan, the Charlton Neighbourhood Plan, the Mayor’s London Plan, and any other material considerations, including planning guidance, like the Charlton Riverside Masterplan, adopted by the Council in 2017.
Neighbourhood planning provides the opportunity for communities to set out a positive vision for how they want their community to develop over the next 10, 15, 20 years in ways that meet identified local need and make sense for local people. They can put in place planning policies that will help deliver that vision or grant planning permission for the development they want to see.
To help deliver their vision communities that take a proactive approach by drawing up a neighbourhood plan and secure the consent of local people in a referendum, will benefit from 25% of the revenues from the Community Infrastructure Levy arising from the development that takes place in their area.