Town Council decision to review Neighbourhood Plan

The Alnwick and Denwick Neighbourhood Plan came into being in July 2017 and has been of great value in planning development in the town over the last 5 years. However, nothing stands still and a number of things have come together to mean that Alnwick Town Council has decided it’s time to review the plan.

There have been changes in national planning policy with the Government promising more as well as the recent introduction of the Northumberland Local Plan. This means the Neighbourhood Plan needs to be updated in a number of areas to stay up-to-date and of value.

Some of the specific areas the council is looking at developing are to do more in respect of affordable housing possibly through Community Led Housing Developments, developing better design principles for new development to ensure the character of Alnwick and Denwick is respected, doing more to ensure development reduces carbon footprint and addresses climate change, protecting nature resources in the town and supporting the town centre.

Peter Hately, Chief Officer and Town Clerk said “The Review is a big opportunity to make sure we keep the Neighbourhood Plan relevant so that it provides robust guidance to shape Alnwick’s future development.”

Neighbourhood plans are plans prepared by and for their communities to give local residents and business an active voice in planning where development should take place and how it should be carried out. The current plan has been very successful in doing this but needs to be kept up-to-date and we need your help.

The Neighbourhood Plan covers the whole of Alnwick and Denwick parishes because parts of the town fall within Denwick parish. As with the original plan the review will be prepared jointly with Denwick Parish Council and a steering group, charged with preparing the review, will include members of Denwick Parish Council as well as the Town Council.