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To: The UK Government and especially the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution

Continuing support funding for community-led Neighbourhood Plans

Photo by Haidan on Unsplash
I want the Minister and UK Government that have successfully supported - according to the organisation, 'Locality' - "over 2,400 communities" to embark upon Neighbourhood Plans, not to terminate this funding.

More "than 1,000 plans" up to now have legal force to influence what development happens where within a locality.

Why is this important?

Cancelling Neighbouhood Plan NP and technical support grants (via Locality) is a means to stop communities having the ability to foster community empowerment and self-help.
 
The loss of Neighbourhood Planning (NP) and technical support grants is a fundamental shift that risks shattering the core principles of Localism just as they have begun to bear fruit.
 
Without central support:
 
  • Communities and their Town & Parish Councils, with limited budgets, will likely be unable to adequately fund, and provide the technical knowledge, to undertake a Neighbourhood Plan
 
  • Communities in deprived or rural areas - most in need of shaping local growth - will be disproportionately disadvantaged
 
  • Developers will gain disproportionate influence, with local policy-making weakened, at precisely the moment that central and regional planning is being streamlined

The implications are significant:
 
  • End of equitable NP access: Wealthier or better-resourced communities may still produce NPs; others will struggle to start or update them
 
  • Loss of technical advice: this is absolutely critical for navigating environmental assessment requirements, site assessments, and policy compliance — without this, many draft NPs would not meet required basic legal tests. This will have the greatest impact on communities trying to shape their own futures, because common sense and the democratic voice will be significantly muted.
 
  • Organic developments - that would keep the life blood pumping in smaller communities - will now either not be allocated or will be determined strategically where the local voice does not necessarily prevail.
 
  • It totally undermines the Localism (2011) Act’s intent: that communities should have a real say in where and how development happens.

Updates

2025-07-17 11:20:03 +0100

'NAG' - informal support group for this campaign/ petition is: 'Gang of Four' -

James Derounian, community development activist and teaches on Community Governance courses for parish, town and community council clerks. Lives, Gloucestershire

Alma Dunigan, community activist, formerly NP Champion. Lives, Northumberland

Alison Eardley, independent planner, and advisor to Neighbourhood Plans. Lives, Kent

Angie Hurren, Clerk to Broadclyst Parish Council; and course leader for Community Governance higher education courses, provided by the SLCC (Society of Local Council Clerks). Lives, Devon

2025-07-16 23:04:10 +0100

Any friendly journalists out there in the ethersphere? Please get in touch for a gift of a news story all about Government SAYING encouraging things about community empowerment, whilst simultaneously DOING the opposite (axing NP support funding)

Do as I say, not as I do?

2025-07-16 22:33:20 +0100

900 barrier broken! Way to go!
1,000 rapidly approaching.

2025-07-15 15:55:10 +0100

Put up the bunting; wave the flags....900 signatures immanent!
Please keep encouraging others to sign up!! 1,000 here we come

2025-07-14 18:48:48 +0100

Dr Luke Evans MP:

"Neighbourhood plans are not obstacles to progress; they are the architects of local consent. In fact, they are the granular centre of local democracy. To dismantle them is to forget that true planning begins not in Whitehall but in the beating hearts of our communities, which call these places home."

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-07-09/debates/BBBF0B52-3DAA-47A0-980D-4FC7C7BBC70B/NeighbourhoodPlansPlanningDecisions

2025-07-11 21:18:33 +0100

Government spokesperson (Alex Norris MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Housing, Communities and Government) said:

It is not "an abolition of neighbourhood planning. We believe that neighbourhood planning is an important part of the planning system”.

Words are cheap; actions run counter to the words......

2025-07-10 11:09:18 +0100

MHCLG (Govt Ministry) seeks to support "every existing and prospective neighbourhood planning group in England".....
file:///C:/Users/James%20Derounian/Downloads/031324-2024%20(1).pdf

Show us the colour of your money for 2026, then

2025-07-10 09:38:50 +0100

1,001 signatories - way to go! Keep 'em coming

2025-07-08 16:33:33 +0100

Just shy of 800 signatories :)

2025-07-08 12:29:47 +0100

Just one e.g. - Original NP 'made up' in 2017 -

Buerton (Cheshire) Parish Council were "awarded a grant to fund the Neighbourhood Plan review from a grant award scheme called “Locality” along with a technical support grant to provide expertise on planning matters.

The grant has enabled the appointment of consultants to support the steering committee with the review. The review will include community engagement events, surveys, policy reviews & generation of new policies to meet the new guidelines and ultimately gain regulation approval."
https://buertonparishcouncil.gov.uk/planning/neighbourhood-plan#toggle-id-1

2025-07-08 12:21:34 +0100

Online the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is still showing:

Its "programme is particularly keen to help ambitious groups, from all types of neighbourhoods, who want to really influence how their place grows and changes going into the future" [https://www.actiontogether.org.uk/neighbourhood-planning-grants-and-support-programme ]

Words v actions??!

2025-07-08 08:54:10 +0100

Let's clear 1,000 signatories during July!
Keep 'em coming

2025-07-07 19:08:46 +0100

800 on the horizon :)

2025-07-07 13:35:04 +0100

722 people can't be wrong :)

2025-07-07 10:13:27 +0100

Some good news – my MP (Tewkesbury constituency), Cameron Thomas, has discussed this matter with the Local Planning Authority, who confirmed removal of support funding will adversely impact parish councils financial support for Neighbourhood Plans. He has written to the housing minister to raise his concerns.

Perhaps you could contact your own MP to alert them to this loss of support funding for NPs, and to ask them in turn to write to the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution (Jim McMahon) who said in a written statement -
"The government is decentralising authority from Whitehall to local areas, empowering councils to lead on local priorities...key mechanism for community engagement...potentially including parish/town councillors and community representatives..."

PLEASE do let me know if you write to your MP on this, and any reply/ support received from them. Thank you, as ever

James