Haydon residents vote for neighbourhood plan
18 Jul 2022 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
Residents of Haydon, in the Tyne Valley now have more of a say over future development in their parish, following a successful referendum which will result in the adoption of a neighbourhood plan for their area.
A local referendum held in the parish this month returned a majority vote (89%) in favour of Northumberland County Council and Northumberland National Park Authority using the Haydon Parish Neighbourhood Plan to help to decide planning applications in the Haydon Neighbourhood Area, in the future.
The Haydon Neighbourhood Plan will form a key part of the planning process for this area and be part of the statutory development plan for Northumberland. This means that future planning decisions in the parish will be made in line with policies in them, unless ‘material considerations’ indicate otherwise.
The Plan was prepared by Haydon Parish Council who were supported throughout the process by the County Council’s Neighbourhood Planning Team.
It focusses on a range of planning issues identified by the local community. These include protecting and enhancing community facilities and local services, supporting housing development suitable for the Parish, preserving the natural environment including valued local green areas, and protecting the built heritage of the Parish.
The Plan passed independent examination in March 2022 and will be officially adopted, or ‘made’, at an upcoming meeting of Northumberland County Council’s cabinet.
Councillor Colin Horncastle, cabinet member for community services at Northumberland County Council, said: "This neighbourhood plan is testament to the hard work of many dedicated people in this community, and I am very pleased to see it come into effect.”
Work is under way on the preparation of neighbourhood plans in over 20 other parishes across Northumberland, while 19 neighbourhood plans are already in place. The Neighbourhood Planning Team continues to provide dedicated help and practical support to all the local parish councils involved in neighbourhood planning.