A Neighbourhood Plan for Harston is about the use and development of land. Preparing it enables our community to create a vision for our local area and objectives that would help achieve this and shape its sustainable development and growth.
It can propose and identify potential sites for more development than in the South Cambs Local Plan (it can’t propose less). It is the community’s opportunity to influence housing development (location, type & design) and improve/provide community facilities developed alongside housing in the parish over the next 15 to 20 years. The plan can also identify and protect local green spaces as well as have a say on environmental matters, heritage, employment and transport issues.
The Neighbourhood plan is important because it is used by local planning authorities to guide decisions about future planning permission and investment in the neighbourhood plan area.
The neighbourhood plan is prepared on the behalf of residents by residents who decide on the scope of the neighbourhood plan. Anyone with a stake in the plan will have the opportunity to contribute (eg residents, business owners, workers, groups/societies, school, doctors). It will form part of the development plan and sits alongside the Local Plan prepared by South Cambs and the Greater Cambridge Planning Authority.
Harston Parish Council is the overseeing/qualifying body for the Neighbourhood Plan. The PC will receive grants for the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group to carry out the preparation work, and will be involved in ensuring the formal planning processes/steps are carried out.