What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
A Neighbourhood Plan gives local communities legal power to influence how land is used and developed in their area. Once adopted, it becomes part of the statutory development plan used by Peterborough City Council when deciding planning applications.
Who is responsible for creating it?
Newborough and Borough Fen Parish Council is the official 'qualifying body' under planning law. The Council has delegated day-to-day responsibility to a Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, which operates under formal Terms of Reference.
This Steering Group is made up of local volunteers and councillors working on behalf of the community to gather evidence, develop policies, and consult residents - ensuring the Plan is both legally sound and locally relevant.
How is the Plan shaped?
The Plan is built using a combination of:
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Planning policy (e.g. the National Planning Policy Framework and Peterborough Local Plan),
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Technical evidence (e.g. flood risk maps, housing needs data, heritage records),
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Local insight - gathered through community surveys, events and written comments.
127 residents shared their views in our first survey round. These responses shaped our ideas and themes.
Neighbourhood Plans must pass independent examination and a community referendum before they are adopted.
Can residents vote on each part of the plan?
Residents are able to comment on each part of the Draft Plan (Regulation 14), these comments will inform the Final Plan. The formal consultation will run from 29th June to 10th August 2026.
Once Regulation 14 feedback has been accommodated, the Plan will be finalised and go through external verification steps (Local Planning Authority and independent examination). If the independent examiner is satisfied, the Plan will then go to Referendum. This is the final vote by the community - and is arranged by the Local Planning Authority. All local residents on the electoral roll will be eligible to vote in the Referedum.
To find out more about the process and influence of Neighbourhood Plans visit the Locality website here or download the Guide.
