Part 13: General Schedule 7: Plan making Section 15K: Neighbourhood priorities statements Background
Neighbourhood planning was introduced through the Localism Act 2011 and gave local communities new rights and powers to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area.
	Through a neighbourhood plan a parish council, or a neighbourhood forum in an unparished area, can set out plan policies and, where they wish, allocate land for development, for their designated neighbourhood plan area. Proposals are shaped by consultation with the wider community and subject to independent examination, before they are put to referendum. If approved at a local referendum, the neighbourhood plan becomes part of the wider development plan, which is the basis for decisions on individual planning applications.
	The take-up of neighbourhood plans is uneven across the country and is generally low in urban and more deprived areas. Communities in these areas face additional barriers which makes it more difficult for them to progress a neighbourhood plan, including a lack of an established governance structure or finding volunteers to help prepare the plan This section seeks to address this by introducing a new simpler neighbourhood planning tool called a "neighbourhood priorities statement". This will allow communities to identify their key priorities for their local area, including their development preferences, and will provide a simpler and more accessible way for them to participate in neighbourhood planning.