Allow us to update our Neighbourhood Plan, says Council

THAME Town Council is preparing to lobby the Government to allow Neighbourhood Plans to be legally updated in certain circumstances.

Thame Town Hall – Image Courtesy of Mark Percy

The town council is wary of new circumstances arising that would cause Neighbourhood Plans to be overridden, such as new government planning laws or the imposition of extra housing as a result of revised local plans.

The Town Council also believes that if circumstances were to arise where aspects of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan (TNP) could be impossible to carry through, such as the inability to raise funds for new infrasructure, there should be a legal mechanism for the Plan to be updated, in agreement with local people.

The Chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Committee, Bob Austin, said: “As a neighbourhood planning front runner, it is important that we in Thame work out how we wish any amendments to be incorporated into the Neighbourhood Plan, whilst preserving its basic principles.”

He continued: “At the moment there is no legal process for Neighbourhood Plans to be updated. Because we are pioneers, an exemplar even, we are in a unique position to advise on how it should be done. What we are proposing would be a lobbying document, showing the direction we think we should be going in based on our experience of developing and implementing what is ‘a living document’.

“We do not know what SODC will have for us from SHMAR. A large allocation of extra houses might kick in which would, for instance, affect on our recreation space or our town centre. It’s about scale; if it is a large allocation, a new referendum would be needed!”

The lobbying document being prepared by the Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Committee would need to go to the full town council for approval.

BACKGROUND posts – Thame Neighbourhood Plan –  https://www.thame.net/?s=Neighbourhood+plan