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BCP Council

Boscombe & Pokesdown Neighbourhood Plan

Statement of general information about the planning

system including Neighbourhood Planning and the

Referendum

On 31 October 2019 residents in the Boscombe & Pokesdown area will have the

opportunity to vote in a referendum on the Boscombe & Pokesdown Neighbourhood

Plan.

Information is set out below about the planning system and neighbourhood plan and

also explains the referendum that is going to take place and how you can take part in

it.

The Planning System

The planning system manages the use and development of land and buildings. The

planning system has two main parts:

• Plan-making – setting out proposals for development and policies to guide

development.

• Managing development – where development is agreed through the granting

of planning permission.

National Planning Policy Framework

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the Government’s planning

policies for England and provides guidance to local councils and neighbourhood

forums in preparing local plans and neighbourhood plans and on making decisions

on planning applications.

Development Plan

In England, planning applications are determined by local planning authorities, such

as BCP Council, in accordance with the development plan unless material

considerations indicate otherwise.

The development plan is a set of documents that set out the policies for the

development and use of land across an area. The relevant Development Plan for the

Boscombe and Pokesdown area is comprised of:

• Bournemouth Core Strategy 2012

• Saved policies of the Bournemouth District Wide Local Plan 2002

• Affordable Housing Development Plan Document 2009

BCP Council is preparing a BCP wide Local Plan, which when adopted will set out

planning policies for the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area, and replace the

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policies within the development plan documents above which cover the

Bournemouth area.

Neighbourhood Planning

Neighbourhood plans were introduced under the Localism Act 2011 to give local

communities a greater influence on future development in their area.

Neighbourhood Plans are prepared by town or parish councils, or neighbourhood

forums. In this case, the Boscombe & Pokesdown Neighbourhood Forum was

approved in May 2016 as the ‘qualifying body’ to work on producing the Plan.

The local community can decide what to include in a neighbourhood plan but it must

meet the following ‘Basic Conditions’

• Have regard to national policies and advice;

• Contributes to sustainable development;

• Is in general conformity with the strategic policies in the appropriate

Development Plan;

• Does not breach the requirements of the habitat regulation assessment

process, including consideration of the effect on habitats sites;

• Be compatible with EU obligation and Human Rights requirements.

Neighbourhood Plans should not promote less development than set out in the Local

Plan or undermine its strategic policies.

Process for a Neighbourhood Plan

There is a statutory process that must be followed for the making of a neighbourhood

plan. The key stages can be summarised as:

1. Designating a neighbourhood area, and if applicable, a neighbourhood forum;

2. The Neighbourhood Forum prepares a draft neighbourhood plan;

3. Pre-submission consultation – the NF publicises the draft Plan and consults

with the community;

4. The NF submits the Submission Version of the plan to the Local Planning

Authority to check legal compliance;

5. The Council publishes the Submission Version of the Neighbourhood Plan for

consultation;

6. After the consultation period the Plan, together with supporting documents

and representations received, is sent for independent examination;

7. The Examiner reports back and recommends whether the plan meets the

basic conditions and should proceed to referendum;

8. Following a positive recommendation by the Examiner, the Council has to

take its own decision on whether the plan meets basic conditions and can

proceed to referendum;

9. The referendum is held.

10. If the referendum returns a majority vote in favour of the plan, the Council has

to ‘make’ the plan. The Council formally adopts the plan and it is brought into

legal force as part of the local development plan.

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The draft Boscombe & Pokesdown Neighbourhood Plan has been examined by an

independent examiner, who issued her report in July 2019. The Examiner

recommended that, subject to modifications to the Plan, it may proceed to

referendum.

Neighbourhood Plan Referendum

At its meeting on 17 September 2019, BCP Council approved the Examiner’s

recommended modifications to the Plan and decided that the amended Plan should

proceed to Referendum.

A referendum on the Boscombe & Pokesdown Neighbourhood Plan will be held on

Thursday 31 October 2019.

A referendum asks you to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a question. The question which will be

asked in the referendum is:

• Do you want BCP Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Boscombe

& Pokesdown to help it decide planning applications in the area?

The referendum area is identified on a map at the end of this document. The

referendum area is identical to the area which has been designated as the

Boscombe & Pokesdown Neighbourhood Plan Area.

The referendum will be conducted in accordance with procedures similar to those for

local government elections.

Who can vote?

A person is entitled to vote in the referendum if, at the time of the referendum, they

meet the eligibility criteria to vote in a local election for the area and if they live in the

referendum area.

The eligibility criteria are:

• You are registered to vote in local government elections; and

• You are 18 years of age or over on Thursday 31st October 2019

How to vote in the referendum

There are 8 polling stations where you can vote in person and, if you are eligible to

vote you will be advised which of the polling stations to attend.

The polling stations will be open on Thursday 31 October 2019 from 7am – 10pm.

You vote by putting a cross (X) in the Yes or No box on your ballot paper. You need

to put a cross in one box only or your vote will not be counted

Further information on voting will be available on the Electoral Services webpages at https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/Council-and-Democratic/Elections-and-

voting/voting/Voting.aspx

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If the Plan receives a ‘Yes’ from more than 50% of those voting, the Boscombe &

Pokesdown Neighbourhood Plan will be ‘made’ by BCP Council as soon as possible.

This means it becomes part of the Development Plan and will be used in determining

decisions on planning applications. If more people vote ‘No’ than ‘Yes’, planning

applications will be decided without using the Neighbourhood Plan, but in

accordance with the adopted Development Plan for the area, unless material

considerations indicate otherwise.

Boscombe & Pokesdown Neighbourhood Plan Referendum Area (which

corresponds to the Neighbourhood Plan Area)

Further information on the Boscombe & Pokesdown Neighbourhood Plan can be

viewed on the Council’s website at

https://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/planningbuilding/PlanningPolicy/Other-Planning-

Documents/boscombe-and-pokesdown-neighbourhood-plan.aspx.

Further information on registering to vote or other voting queries can be viewed at https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/Council-and-Democratic/Elections-and-

voting/voting/Voting.aspx