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.

Accessibility: please note that the neighbourhood plan documents are written by the communities. The documents are not produced by nor under the control of councils and so are exempt from the accessibility regulations.

A neighbourhood plan can:

• propose more development than the Local Plan
• allocate sites for development for housing, employment, and community uses
• protect what is special about an area by identifying green spaces or local heritage assets
• help to define the type and design of new development.

The neighbourhood plan cannot:

• propose less growth than in the Local Plan
• prevent any development from ever taking place in an area
• be prepared without community input and support
• conflict with local, national or international policies.

Download our neighbourhood planning toolkit [PDF, 0.7MB].

You can find out more about neighbourhood planning by visiting Locality or MyCommunity.

All neighbourhood plans and orders are subject to an independent examination and a vote by the local community in a referendum. Only a neighbourhood plan or order that appropriately fits with local strategic and national policies and complies with important legal conditions may be put to a referendum. 

When a neighbourhood plan has passed examination, achieved successful local support through referendum and is then formally ‘made’, it will form part of the statutory ‘development plan’ which is used in deciding planning applications. 

View our made neighbourhood plans.

Neighbourhood areas

A neighbourhood area must be designated before a neighbourhood plan can be submitted for the area.

View our made neighbourhood plans and neighbourhood plans being prepared. 

Neighbourhood planning support 

As the local planning authority, we have a statutory duty to support and assist designated neighbourhood forums (Cambridge City Council boundary) and Parish Councils (South Cambridgeshire District Council boundary) interested in preparing neighbourhood plans.

Find out how to prepare a neighbourhood plan. 

Our Statement of Community Involvement sets out our Support Offer to Parish Councils and Neighbourhood Forums preparing neighbourhood plans.