Residents in Bishop Monkton will have a greater say over future development in their village after North Yorkshire Council approved the designation of the parish as a neighbourhood area.
The decision allows Bishop Monkton Parish Council to begin preparing a neighbourhood plan for the village near Ripon.
This gives the community the opportunity to shape where development takes place and influence the type of homes, facilities and infrastructure needed in the years ahead.
Neighbourhood planning was introduced under the Localism Act 2011 and enables communities to develop a shared vision for their area.
Once completed, independently examined and approved at referendum, a neighbourhood plan becomes part of the statutory development plan and must be taken into account when planning applications are determined.
Bishop Monkton Parish Council submitted its application to North Yorkshire Council in March after agreeing earlier this year that it wanted to prepare a neighbourhood development plan for the whole parish.
As the application covered the entire parish boundary, there was no requirement for a public consultation and the council was obliged to approve the designation.
In its application, the parish council said it wanted to ensure future growth took place as part of a clear long-term vision for the village.
The council said Bishop Monkton had grown significantly in recent years and was expected to continue expanding as new housing developments were completed. It argued that a neighbourhood plan would help ensure services and infrastructure kept pace with that growth while giving local people more influence over future development and investment opportunities.
Among the issues the parish council expects the plan to address are the design, type and scale of new housing, recreational facilities, industrial development, rights of way, accessibility and the protection of green spaces. Other priorities will be identified through consultation with residents, businesses and other stakeholders as work on the plan progresses.
A report presented to North Yorkshire Council said there were “no reasons that indicate that the area should not be designated” and recommended approval.
While the designation itself carries no additional cost beyond officer time, the council noted that preparing the neighbourhood plan would require ongoing support from planning officers.
Once the plan reaches examination and referendum stage, the authority will be able to claim Government funding towards those costs.
The approval marks the first formal step in the neighbourhood planning process, with Bishop Monkton Parish Council now able to begin preparing a draft plan that will eventually be subject to public consultation, independent examination and a local referendum before it can be adopted.
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